A Community Winter Solstice Ritual

The Winter Spiral Garden is a rich, ancient ritual that honors the time of year when light, warmth, and food were once scarce—when communities gathered close, shared resources, and called back the sun together.

One lineage of this tradition comes from old Bavaria. Farmers would bring moss, twigs, and evergreen boughs into their homes and create a small winter garden on a table. Into this garden, they placed candles tucked inside apples—tiny hearths to brighten the longest, darkest night.

This ritual reminds us to cherish what we have, acknowledge all that has been provided, and honor the deep wisdom of nature’s cycles. Winter invites us to trust the dark, to soften into stillness, and to remember that this season of rest is essential to rebirth.

Here in the mountains—where winter is long, quiet, and profoundly dark—the Winter Spiral walk becomes a threshold into the season. As we wind inward with our candles, we kindle our own inner flame. As we walk outward again, we carry that spark into the many cold nights ahead.

Setting Up The Winter Garden Spiral:

You can build your spiral indoors or outdoors, using whatever the land offers:

For an Indoor Spiral

Pine boughs
Evergreen branches
Twigs, moss, or dried flowers
Citrus slices or rose hips
Dried herbs or sage bundles
Gnomes, fairies, or symbolic objects

Arrange the greenery in a large spiral shape on the floor. Make sure the path is wide enough for children to walk comfortably with adult guidance.

For an Outdoor Spiral

Stones
Fallen branches
Wood rounds
Pinecones
Snow walls or shoveled pathways

Use what you have—nature is generous in winter, even in her bareness.

Many people like to adorn the spiral with meaningful seasonal items:

dried oranges for the sun, rose hips for the heart, sage bundles for purification. You may gather these offerings into a Yuletide fire later.

Children’s Tip

Place large golden stars or markers inside the spiral where each candle will eventually go. This helps children know exactly where to place their candle and prevents them from placing it in the walking path. These “star stations” create a visual guide and help the spiral remain safe and beautiful.

Walking The Winter Garden Spiral:

The most challenging part of this ritual—especially with young children—is cultivating a tone of quiet contemplation. I allow my children to explore the spiral many times beforehand, so the unfamiliar becomes familiar and they can fully inhabit the ritual with ease.

Preparing the Candles

Traditionally, each candle is wedged into an apple (a small symbol of the earth holding the light).
If outdoors in wildfire-prone regions, consider LED candles.
Have all candles lit and arranged at the edge of the circle before beginning.

The Ritual Walk

Gather everyone in a wide circle around the spiral.
This is a beautiful moment for live music, soft drumming, or communal singing.
One by one, each participant steps forward, picks up a candle, and begins the walk inward.
They follow the spiral path to the very center—the still point—and place their candle there.
The first candle illuminates the center. Each person after that places their candle on one of the star-marked spaces along the spiral on their walk out.
Young children should be guided gently through the whole journey—held by a hand, a whisper, or a steady breath.

As the candles are placed, the spiral begins to glow—first a flicker, then a growing river of light mirroring the greenery or stones beneath it.

By the end, the spiral becomes a luminous symbol of community light, each candle representing a single soul choosing to bring warmth into the darkest night.