Winter Solstice Ceremony
The sacred turn of the year, honored by many Indigenous peoples as the return of the sun.
The winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, where most of the ceremonies described here take place. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on June 20 or 21.
When Is Winter Solstice Ceremony?
The winter solstice falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, where most of the ceremonies described here take place. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on June 20 or 21.
Because the Gregorian date changes from year to year, check a calendar published by the tradition or your local community for this year's date.
Why It Matters
The winter solstice has been marked by many cultures since ancient times. For some Indigenous peoples of the Americas, such as the Hopi, the solstice marks the turning back of the sun, the darkest night giving way to the return of light. It is a time of prayer, ceremony, and communal gathering.
How It Is Observed
Depends on tradition, sweat lodge ceremonies, kiva rituals (Pueblo peoples), long-house celebrations, sacred fires, storytelling, drumming, prayer, and feasting. The Hopi observe Soyal at the solstice, and the Zuni hold Shalako in late November or early December.
Sacred Text
“You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. ... The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars.”
, Black Elk Speaks ↗