Sing for the Sun: Winter Solstice 2013 Events in the Bay Area

by Alex Gronke

One doesn’t have to be a druid or belong to a coven to want to celebrate the longest night of the year. The winter solstice, which is Saturday, marks the point in earth’s orbit when the North Pole tilts furthest from the sun. It’s when the sun appears to stop moving south and begin moving north. The word solstice comes from combining the Latin words for sun (sol) and stop (stit).

This article from Space.com offers a more complete explanation of the astronomy behind the solstice, but the various winter solstice events in the Bay Area take their inspiration from the prescientific era of human history.

Reclaiming, a community of Wiccans, is holding a solstice eve celebration at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Friday. This is the event that in years past has run afoul of Golden Gate National Recreation Area authorities by making a big, blazing bonfire the centerpiece of the ceremony. The Reclaiming website is clear that Friday’s celebration will not include a fire. Details are here.

On Saturday, Reclaiming is organizing a “sing up the sun”gathering in Tilden Park in Berkeley at 6:40 a.m. Reclaiming advises participants to “bring drums, shakers, tambourines, flutes, tubas, etc. and maybe a thermos of hot beverage. If you have a favorite sun-song, bring lyrics to share, and we usually do a spiral dance just after dawn.” Details about where to meet are here.

Less explicitly spiritual, but also in Tilden Park, the East Bay Regional Park District is organizing an early morning hike to“meet the solstice” on Saturday morning. The hike starts at 6:15 a.m. at the Environmental Educational Center near the Little Farm. Bring a thermos of coffee and solstice stories.

The East Bay Regional Park District is hosting a hike at sunseton Saturday at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. The walk starts at the visitor center at 4 p.m. and requires registration.  

There will be a women-only circle on Friday evening at the Daughters of the Goddess Womyn’s Temple in Concord. The circle starts at 7:30 p.m., payment and RSVP are required.

In Martinez, the John Muir House will have a campfire and various solstice-themed events from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Muir Woods in Marin has an all-day solstice celebrationcomplete with Morris dancing, crafts, stories, songs and a ceremonial fire. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m.