December 21st is the shortest day and longest night of this year here in the North. Winter solstice is a celebration of the turning of the sun that falls on the 20th, 21st, 22nd or the 23rd of December. This particular celebration goes way back; The pagan Scandinavian people celebrated a twelve-day “midwinter” (winter solstice) holiday called Yule (or rather – “Jól” in old norse or “Jul” in Norwegian). Winter solstice has a deep, personal meaning to me because it marks a spiritual energy increase with new hope for the future. Indeed, Winter Solstice is a “funeral” where I bury the darkness of the past, but it is also a celebration where I focus on the light of the future. Urd, Skuld and Verdande are significant to my celebration, and I do not base that particular part on any sources. Little does man know about the Viking Ways – so much of The Heathen traditions were lost in the awful Christianization of Norway.
However you celebrate this season, and whatever your religion or lifestyle might be; I wish you peace, blessings, hopes and visions this Winter Solstice night.
Viking bear hugs,
Sól Geirsdóttir
TheVikingQueen 
Blessings to you too. Look forward to your posts in 2017.
Tusen takk! Jeg ønsker deg en lykkelig Yule, en fantastisk verv, og fortsatte beste ønsker for 2017 fra Canada!
Christianization, and also plague at 14th century did enourmous damage to knowledge about ways of ancient norse folk for sure. Here in Finland most of our written heritage burned with the city library and city of Turku 1827.