Top Places For The Winter Solstice and Winter Festivals

Although it’s dry and hot for most of the year, Egypt is a comfortable place to visit in December. You can stroll along the golden sands and go for a dip in the Red Sea. On December 21st, witness the winter solstice when the average temperatures are 17°C to 22°C (63°F to 72°F). You’ll only need a lightweight jumper! For a spectacular winter solstice experience, head for the Karnak Temple Complex at Luxor.

The Karnak Temple is a significant historical site, which was developed over 2,000 years ago, starting in around 2055 BC and continuing until about 100 AD. During that time, Egyptian pharaohs added their own structures to create the awe-inspiring complex we see today. The ancient Egyptians believed that the temple was where creation itself began. Today it is still seen as a place of worship. It continues to draw crowds from all over the world on the 21st December at dawn.

However, attending the winter solstice here isn’t like observing an average sunrise. It’s an amazing solar alignment phenomenon. Bring your camera to capture the sun’s rays as they enter the Karnak Temple from the east. Beams of light run along the temple’s main axis and flood into the Holy of Holies (a shrine where a statue of the Egyptian god Amun-Ra was kept). As the sun ascends, its rays brighten the temple of Hatshepsut (built by Queen Hatshepsut, c.1473–1458 BC), which lies across the River Nile from the Karnak Temple.

This astronomical phenomenon in the desert outside Luxor lasts for 20 minutes. If you stay longer, you can watch traditional Egyptian folk dances as performers celebrate the winter solstice.

Saturnalia was an ancient Roman winter festival that honoured the Roman god of agriculture (Saturn). It was celebrated by Romans throughout the lands of the Empire and took place between approximately 17th – 23rd December. Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, came to power in the 4th century AD. From this time on, Saturnalia religious traditions were slowly lost and it instead became a festival to brighten up the dark days of mid-winter. The 25th December became established as a day to commemorate the birth of Christ from around 354 AD, but some aspects of the old Saturnalia celebrations merged with his new annual event.

During the pre-Christian days of the Roman Empire, Saturn was honoured by everyone. Masters and slaves would meet together at a temple, where pigs were ritually sacrificed. The following day, the pigs were cooked and eaten and copious amounts of wine was consumed. Gifts were shared and games were played, so you can see the parallels with modern-day Christmas! Outside in the streets, a festive atmosphere flourished and citizens dressed up in colourful  ‘party clothes’. Next, people gathered to watch an exciting gladiator battle at a local amphitheatre.

As mentioned previously, Saturnalia was a winter festival that ran across seven days in December. Today, it’s celebrated by ‘Reconstructionist Pagans‘ across the world. If you want to celebrate it in the UK before Christmas Day, watch the Saturnalia Parade in early December in the Roman city of Chester. After a spot of Christmas shopping, you can meet with the locals at Chester’s Town Hall and step back in time…

Hear Emperor Domitian deliver his speech to assert and confirm Roman rule in the city. Next, watch a grand procession march down the streets, led by the Roman Deva Victrix 20th Legion. Cheer wildly as the Legion marches past you, with their flaming torches in hand. The event climaxes with a fire-breathing finale. After all the excitement, finish your weekend in Chester with a hearty roast in one of its historic pubs found along Lower Bridge Street.

Have you ever spent New Year’s Eve in St Ives, Cornwall? If so, you’ll know that the locals have their own special winter celebration for saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new one. At this end of year festival, people dress in different costumes, ranging from banana outfits to exotic face-painted characters and jellybean costumes! They cheer to welcome the new year, then watch a spectacular fireworks display!

In Norway, within the western town of Florø the locals take their dressing-up a stage further than the St Ives revellers. A winter celebration called Kjippen – the Carnival of the New Year – is celebrated on New Year’s Eve. It originated in the 19th century as a protest against unjust wages. This spirit of rebellion still persists today, with satirical and subversive undertones. Despite this, it is still a colourful and vibrant spectacle.

Instead of fireworks at midnight, people dress as colourful characters. In a nod to Norway’s Pagan past, you’ll see Viking warriors, complete with horned helmets!  The carnival-goers parade past Florø’s picturesque houses on foot or upon a lit-up float, with each character carrying a satirical message on a poster. As these are often very specific Norwegian historic, political and cultural references, you may want to do some research beforehand to understand the jokes! Throughout the evening, pop-up street performers take turns to entertain the crowds. Then, all the characters meet to burn their placards on a blazing bonfire.

This carnival is unusual and quirky, which adds to its appeal. The creative tradition adds colour to Florø’s streets in winter and provides a unique attraction for locals and tourists. As Florø is geographically far enough north, you could combine a trip to the carnival with a winter break in Norway to witness the spectacular Northern Lights.

Scotland is worth a visit at any time of the year if you like to admire the mountainous landscape and sample rich cuisine. However, why not visit from New Year’s Eve or the second week of January? Darkness may fall in the Shetland Islands by 3pm but on the east coast of Scotland you can experience unique mid-winter fire festivals!

On New Year’s Eve welcome a new year by travelling to Stonehaven, south of Aberdeen. Here, a Fireball Ceremony takes place, which draws its inspiration from an ancient pagan purification ritual. Listen to the sounds of pipes and drums and watch in awe as folk twirl balls of burning fuel on wire handles around their heads while they parade down the street. The event comes to a close as the fireballs – which symbolise the ghost of the old year – are cast into the sea at Stonehaven Harbour.

Then on the 11th of January, you can join the people of Burghead to celebrate the new year (once again) for the Burning of the Clavie. These celebrations start by setting a large barrel filled with wood and tar alight. This hollow vessel, which is often made from split wooden casks, is known as a Clavie. Closely followed by crowds, the Clavie is carried across town up towards the battlements of an ancient fort at Doorie Hill. The Clavie is then placed upright to be refuelled and admired by all until its light dims and burns out. Afterwards, the Clavie rolls down the hill and everyone rejoices! If you’re lucky, you can take a piece of the smouldering Clavie home – this is thought to bring good luck in the coming year!

The Burning of the Clavie has taken place for over 270 years. Since this time, Burghead’s locals have celebrated New Year’s Eve twice a year. The tradition is rooted in a long-standing rebellion against the introduction of the new Gregorian calendar in the 1750s, which changed the annual commemoration of New Year’s Eve to 11 days earlier than the original date. However, it is possible that the origins of this traditional winter festival in Scotland may well be even older. You’d have to ask a native of Burghead to be certain…

In 1979, the Canadian city of Ottawa hosted Winterlude its first winter festival. Since its inception, Winterlude’s aim has been to celebrate Canada’s unique northern culture and climate. The event’s organisers were inspired by their Canadian ancestors, who regularly met together in winter. To honour this, the Winterlude Winter Festival was born!

Today, Winterlude is North America’s best winter festival. The free event (organised by 800 volunteers) takes place across the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau in Quebec (Canada’s French province). Experience the festival for yourself during the first three weekends in February. The festival’s activities include building connections with local indigenous people and admiring world‑class ice sculptures, the majority of which were created during the Winterlude National Ice‑Carving Championship. You can also immerse yourself in a fascinating and informative cultural programme.

Travelling with youngsters? Have fun playing in a snow playground dubbed ‘Snowflake Kingdom’ in Jacques-Cartier Park, Gatineau. Also, look out for obstacle races, mazes, Olympic sports, and acoustic music shows within this winter wonderland. Canada never fails to provide a blanket of snow in winter. So, this place should be a hit! Youngsters (and those young at heart) will also find winter sports such as tube sliding or skating at the nearby historical skate rink. This just happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Rideau Canal and is open to leisure craft outside of the winter months.