Imagine a time when the only source of heat and light in the home was a small fire burning. Imagine how truly short the days would have felt when the length of your day directly aligned with the rising and setting of the sun...which was less than 6 hours in some areas. People rarely ventured far from the safety and warmth of their homes during the dark cold winter nights. During these times humans were necessarily focused on the seasons and astrological changes of our planet. People would have spent most of their summer and fall growing, harvesting, storing, and preparing for the long, dark winter nights to come. Until modern times, winter was a difficult time of famine and strife. Reaching the Winter Solstice was a significant turning point. When every day grew longer, if only by just a few minutes...longer, warmer, brighter. The solstice was a time of celebration. At the end of the longest night, there will be light. It is a time of hope, renewal, and looking forward to brighter days.

At the end of the longest night, there will be light.

The Winter Solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years by hundreds of different cultures. Here is a fun article telling more aboutWinter Solstice Celebrations around the World. You can create your own traditions or follow ones that you feel most connected to. The solstice happens every year on December 21 or 22. This is the darkest and longest night of the entire year, and it’s a time to celebrate that brighter times are ahead. After the Winter Solstice, the days begin to get longer, and the sun slowly begins to return. That’s why bulb-shaped ornaments are commonly hung on an evergreen tree, because they represent solar energy.

Evergreen trees are a symbol of abundance and vitality, so bringing an evergreen tree into the home is a celebration of good health and abundance during the darkest and coldest time of the year.  

Mistletoe has its roots in ancient Druid tradition. This parasitic plant grows and lives on apple, oak, and willow trees. Hanging it in your home is believed to bring good luck to the household. Kissing under the Mistletoe? Well that’s to bring on the baby magic, because it was also believed to enhance fertility!

There’s so much richness in the history of holiday traditions, and our favorite is the Winter Solstice. Since we love crystals and malas, we’ve gathered this collection of crystals that we recommend for celebrating winter solstice! Gather your gems and celebrate the longest night with us!

Crystals are amazing tools for meditation and for holding intentions. For the winter solstice, the best crystals to work with are red, orange, and yellow crystals that connect you to solar energy and fire energy. Sit with them in meditation, create a crystal grid, speak your intentions into them, or wear them on your body.

• Garnet: This is known as the warrior’s stone. Garnets used to be carried in the swords and shields of warriors for protection and healing (if they are injured in battle). Red garnet stimulates and activates the base chakra, promoting feelings of safety and security. Garnet is also an excellent stone for igniting your passion. It stirs up sensual and creative energy in the body… encouraging you to make your own sparks this solstice season! Our favorite pick for inspiring passion is theShakti Garnet Spinner Ring. Wear it as a reminder, take a time out to focus your attention on your sacral chakra to stir up passion… or shift your focus to your root chakra to ground yourself and feel a sense of protection. You can also wear the ring throughout the day, spinning it in a repetitive motion to promote feelings of calmness and relieve anxiety.
• Carnelian: This crystal is believed to help activate your sacral chakra, promoting passion, creativity, and self-expression. Carnelian is a fertility crystal, so it brings fertility and abundance into your life, which makes it the perfect crystal to work with during the winter solstice, a holiday that celebrates the planting of new seeds, new ideas, new beginnings...and the growth of new life that is to come. Meditate with a carnelian mala that you can make yourself using ourPassion + Creativity Mala Kit, to increase your vitality during the darkest and coldest night of the year, and open yourself up to receive new inspiration, excitement, and abundance in the months to come.
• Crazy Lace Agate: Also known as “happy lace”, crazy lace agate is the stone of joy, optimism, and laughter. We love how dainty and elegant our gemstone chokers look...and the Crazy Lace Agate Choker is the perfect choice for this time of year. Wear it for a little pop of color and to add an extra boost of joy and happiness to your day.
• Ruby: This fiery and powerful crystal helps you embrace your own personal power. If you are hoping to attract new love into your life in the coming year, you can create a crystal grid with rubies on the winter solstice. You can also meditate with a ruby or wear ruby jewelry to ignite your passion and support you in pursuing that passion. If there were any significant obstacles you faced in the previous year that you want to release, rubies are also great for removing obstacles. You can wear rubies throughout the day for protection and vitality.
• Bloodstone: The mythology around bloodstone connects this stone to Jesus and Christianity, so this is the perfect stone if you celebrate Christmas, and you want to add Winter Solstice traditions to your holiday traditions. Bloodstone is the perfect crystal for when you need an extra boost of energy. Also as the name may suggest, it helps support the health of the blood and the circulatory system. You can carry or wear bloodstone to help you stay warm and keep your blood circulating during the colder winter months.
• Citrine: If you want to attract abundance and prosperity in the year ahead, citrine is the perfect crystal to work with. Citrine stimulates the solar-plexus, promoting presence and joy, and soothing any stress around finances. Wear adainty citrine choker or place a citrine nugget at your place of work to help increase cash flow. There are a number of rituals that you can do with citrine to attract more money into your life. Doing a money ritual on the winter solstice would be perfect for anyone who is focused on attracting abundance in the year ahead.

This is the perfect time of year to plant seeds of intention for the year ahead. Its a wonderful time to gather with friends and create malas together while setting intentions for the New Year. Our DIY Mala Necklace kits have everything you need to create that special gathering. See thisblog post to learn about how you can gift your loved ones with a meaningful mala-making experience for the holidays.

If you have a Christmas tree, you can write down your wishes for the coming year and tie them to your Christmas tree, and you can encourage your family to join you. If you want to work with fire or solar energy, you can create a crystal grid with some of the crystals suggested above, or you can have a bonfire.

You can get creative with the Winter Solstice! You can create your own traditions or activities based on the winter-solstice themes. However you choose to celebrate this special day, we wish you joy, light, and bright new beginnings!!