Are you ready for this day? The winter solstice is this Saturday, December 21st. It’s usually the official start of winter and it has the ignominious honor of being the shortest day of the year. We think the Winter Solstice gets a bad rap in the northern hemisphere because it is associated with winter, cold, snow and darkness. This year, we are going to help you embrace the Winter Solstice! With all the negatives that bad weather and darkness brings, there’s still plenty to love about this day.

In Boston, we will have a little over 6 hours less daylight than the Summer Solstice in June – only 9 hours and 4 minutes. But, we’ll take it in comparison to Fairbanks, Alaska, where they get less than 4 hours of precious daylight. See? It’s not so bad (unless you are in Fairbanks, Alaska)!  What else is there to love about the Winter Solstice?  Spiritually, the solstice celebrates the long hours of darkness and holds hope for renewal and self-reflection, sweeping out the old and ringing in the new.   

Need some ideas on how to spend this Winter Solstice? 

• Take a Goddess Bath – Wash away all the negativity and fears of the past year in a cleansing bath made with sage, chamomile, basil, peppermint, cinnamon, sandalwood, lavender and rosemary. Light some candles and relish the smooth and calm of the darkness
• Write in your journal – what better time to reflect and write down all the things you love about winter and the three most interesting people you have met this year
• Spend some time with nature –  Take a long walk in the woods. If it’s chilly, bundle up and your walk will have you feeling even more invigorated!
• Give your house a good cleaning – enough said.
• Power down – turn off your electronics and follow the natural light of the day, eat by candlelight and go to bed early
• Plan to watch – a quiet calm sun rise and an early sun set

No matter how you plan to spend the shortest day of the year, you should look good doing it.  A few months ago we went through our Julianna Rae closet and picked out some outfit ideas for the longest day of the year, so, what would we wear on the shortest day? Well, it all depends on what we’ve got going on! The shortest day of the year could keep us in pj’s all day or in the case of the longest night – lingerie all evening – meow!

If we went to bed in a luxurious pair of silk pj’s, why take them off? We’d throw on a pot of coffee, make some cinnamon rolls and wrap up in a Heavenly Spa robe for some major journaling at breakfast. Winter Solstice party to prep for?  We’d throw on a fresh pair of Pj bottoms which would go perfect with a favorite top and cute pair of heels and we’ll still look amazing when the sun goes down and the party really gets going.

 

Nothing is sexier than a long night spent in something as elegant and lacy as our new Sophia Silk Long Nightgown. Shorter? A chemise and silk thong or cami and tap are two options but it’s so hard to choose which set! With a night as long as the solstice a wardrobe change wouldn’t be out of the question… Alas, if we had to absolutely get out of pj’s then a silk bra and panty underneath anything we choose would be the absolute best way to watch the sunrise on the second shortest day of the year!

Now we ask you… what are you going to wear on the shortest day of the year???

Deb Fries is a freelance designer and writer, she has worked for Julianna Rae in graphics and customer service and now writes lifestyle pieces for juliannarae.com/blog