Let there be (more) light as we celebrate the winter solstice and Turn of the Tides
In all the holiday hullabaloo, let’s not forget one occasion that’s worthy of celebration for everyone around here: the return of the light.
That’s solstice — which is, it’s true, a pagan or Wiccan holiday, but also a scientific one.
Happening at 2:22 p.m. Dec. 21 (according to timeanddate.com), winter solstice marks the moment when our hemisphere, which has been tilted away from the sun, begins to move toward it.
After that, things begin to get a little bit brighter. (Not much, though; on the solstice, we’ll have 8 hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds of daylight, and we won’t hit 8 hours, 31 minutes till Dec. 26.)
The planet’s position relative to the sun affects not only the length of our days but also the height of our tides, which respond to the pull of the sun as well as the moon.
That’s the inspiration for the Puget Sound Estuarium’s annual Turn of the Tides Festival, “celebrating the sea and the season,” as the poster describes it.
The free festival, happening Saturday, is the Estuarium’s biggest event each year and offers children and families the opportunity to learn more about the environment and the places where land and sea meet.
“We’re keeping it science-based,” said Elisa McGee of the South Sound Estuary Association, which runs the Estuarium.
Between 11 a.m. and noon, artist Nikki McClure will lead kids in making a nudibranch-themed card inspired by the style of the papercuts that have made her one of South Sound’s best-known artists. There’ll also be opportunities to make fish prints, meet shellfish, and touch starfish, plus a photo booth where kids can dress as geoduck farmers.
The festival also features a chance to explore the estuarium free of charge, and refreshments with which to toast the change of season.
“We’ll be having a hot cocoa and cider bar this year,” McGee told The Olympian.
Turn of the Tides
- What: The Puget Sound Estuarium celebrates the sea and the season with crafts, touch tanks, cocoa and more.
- When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Puget Sound Estuarium, 309 State Ave. NE, Olympia
- Admission: Free
- More information: 360-915-0773, sseacenter.org
Other local events celebrating the solstice
- Winter Solstice Kirtan and Sound Healing, a celebration combining chanting and relaxation — 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 19, 2805 Gull Harbor Road NE, Olympia. $5-$25; register by Dec. 17 by emailing jesspearlyoga@gmail.com. facebook.com/events/2404378046302930/
- Winter Solstice Spiral Walk, a drop-in ritual with live music and crafts for kids — 5-8 p.m. Dec. 21, Unity of Olympia, 1335 Fern St. SW, Olympia. Free. office@unityofolympia.org
- Long Winter’s Night, a candlelit yoga practice with Kristi Lyons — 6-8 p.m. Dec. 21, Yoga Loft, 219 Legion Way SW, Olympia. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 360-870-7876, yogaloft.biz
- Solstice Celebration, an earth-centered ritual — 7-8:30 p.m. Dec. 21, multipurpose room at The United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave. SE, Olympia. Free. Participants are invited to bring drums and rattles. awakewalking@gmail.com, facebook.com/events/515363922301474/
- Winter Solstice Astro Ritual — 8-10:30 p.m. Dec. 21, Fusion Physical Therapy and Pilates, 302 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. $8-$20. jmariepoland@gmail.com, facebook.com/events/2293012950769321/