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The Zuni People of New Mexico have a series of dances and ceremonies called Shalako, which mark the end of the harvest season. Many featured dancing and music, fasting, and ushering in the light of the new year. Indigenous Peoples in North and South America also had winter solstice celebrations. Romans would bring greenery into their homes along with plenty of light. What started as a single day quickly turned into a weeklong festival, which began on the Julian calendar’s December 17 and December 25 on the Gregorian calendar.
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The celebration was held in honor of Saturn, the Roman God of agriculture and time. In ancient Rome, the festival of Saturnalia was celebrated with games, feasts, gift giving, and a swapping of social order. Tang yuan, a type of sweet or savory rice ball, is a typical seasonal delicacy. In China, and in other Asian cultures, the Dongzhi Festival marks the solstice and the end of the harvest season. The festival Yalda, or Shab-e Yalda, is a Persian celebration, which marks the victory of light over darkness along with the birthday of the Sun God, Mithra. The light was meant to drive out the darkness of the season, rid the space of evil spirits, and usher in good luck for the new year. Druids also had a version of the Yule log-a large tree trunk or branch lit on fire and brought into the home to provide light and heat.
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The fruits were considered a symbol of life in the dark and cold winter months. Druids, or Celtic priests, marked the winter solstice by cutting mistletoe that grew on sacred oak trees. One story tells us that they believed each spark from the fire marked each new pig or cow born in the new year. Warmth and light was provided by Yule logs, which burnt well into January. Yule was the festival celebrated in the Scandinavian countries. Illustration of an ancient Nordic Yule festival from Die Gartenlaube (The Garden Arbor Journal), 1880 public domain