Gumnut Bulletin 4, 2024 - Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice 2024
Day of longest shadow, day of shortest light,
The sun will vanish early, before the longest night,
And through the hours of darkness, a candle flame will glow,
Just like a spark of sunlight, that in our hearts can grow.
Whole School Winter Solstice by the Sea
In the coastal town of Geraldton, Western Australia, there was a small, vibrant Steiner school called Leaning Tree Steiner School. The school was nestled between the Moresby Range and where the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean met the sandy beaches. The Winter Solstice was a time of great celebration at LTSS, as it marked the beginning of the mild Australian winter.
As the solstice approached, the students at LTSS were busy with preparations. They crafted lanterns from colourful paper as they would be the centrepiece of their Winter Solstice celebration, symbolising the light that shines within each of them, even during the shorter days of winter.
On the day of the Winter Solstice, the entire school gathered for warming soup, sweet apple pie and story time. As twilight fell, the students, wrapped in their warm jackets, hand knitted beanies and gathered their lanterns. The sky was painted in hues of pink and orange as the sun set over the ocean.
The Lighthouse Class 6 students enthralled the community with a geometric dance of fire and the glow of the light lit everyone's faces as they watched on in awe. It was then time for the Prospect Class 9 students to step up and perform their dazzling fire dances, which took the crowd's breath away.
Voices rang out over the sky above as songs were sung about the shortest day of the year, glowing candles, deep greens and dark skies. With lanterns held high, all students formed a procession and the soft light from their lanterns reflected on their faces, creating a magical scene.
As they walked, the students felt a sense of wonder and connection to the natural world around them. They reached the special spot where the spiral met King Winter and then they slowly began their journey home again.
Everyone felt a deep sense of gratitude for the Winter Solstice celebration. It was a reminder of the enduring power of light and community, and the promise that the light would always return even in the darkest of times.
Whole School Winter Solstice
Starflower Winter Solstice
We are so excited to share the delightful experience our Starflower children had during our Winter Solstice Festival! This enchanting event was a beautiful way for our young learners to celebrate the shortest day and the longest night of the year, marking the beginning of winter with joy and wonder.
The festival began with nourishing soup with our families and as the garden began to settle into dusk, we gathered to light our handmade lanterns. Kathy led us on an adventure around the school and then into the Starflower Room, which had been transformed into King Winter’s spiral. Each family walked the spiral and found a treasure from King Winter himself!
After the spiral, we filled up on apple pie with cream – yum! We then gathered for a special storytelling session before heading off to our own beds – full tummies and warm hearts.
Starflower Winter Solstice
🍴WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Pumpkin Soup
No saucepan is required! Roast all the ingredients together in the oven, then tip into a blender with stock, blitz and serve.
Roasting the pumpkin for this silky soup intensifies its flavour and improves its texture. Just pop the pumpkin pieces in the oven and forget about them for a while, whilst they lose their watery-ness, and turn rich and golden brown.
The earthy pumpkin is paired with smoked paprika, sweet roasted garlic and fresh rosemary. Big, punchy flavours for a pumpkin background.
This soup freezes very well, so if you have lots of pumpkin to use up you can batch-cook and freeze it in individual portions.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg pumpkin
- 3 carrots (or 2 if they are very large)
- 1 onion
- 1 stick celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 4 tablespoons dairy-free cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan)
- Cut the pumpkin into quarters, remove and discard the seeds and slice off the skin. Cut into chunks and place in a roasting tin.
- Peel and slice the carrots and onion, finely slice the celery, and add to them to the tin, along with the garlic cloves, (whole, still in their skins).
- Add the oil, rosemary and smoked paprika, season well with salt and black pepper, then toss everything together until the vegetables are fully coated in oil.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin and carrots are just soft. Remove from the oven.
- Find the garlic cloves, cut off their ends and squeeze the soft flesh back into the roasting tin, discarding the skins. Discard the rosemary stalk.
- Tip the contents of the roasting tin into a blender or food processor, (or a saucepan with a hand blender). Add the stock, tomato purée and cream and blitz until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve immediately.