Community Corner

Manayunk to Host First Annual Solstice Fire

Celebrate the winter solstice this Saturday in Manayunk with a bonfire.

The following is a press release from the Manayunk Development Corporation.

To celebrate the arrival of the Winter Solstice on Saturday, December 21st, Manayunk will be hosting the first annual Manayunk Solstice Fire. The Winter Solstice has been celebrated by cultures across the world for more than 6,000 years and Manayunk plans to celebrate for the first time this year in Canal View Park. 

The celebration of the Winter Solstice in Manayunk will kick off at 3 p.m. with a Birds of Prey Show, where visitors will have the chance to get up close and personal with a variety of local birds. After, a ceremonious drum circle will take place while the torches and fires are lit. Guests will be able to make wishes or affirmations on wishing sticks, which will then be burned in the bonfire. This signifies their intent and hopefulness for the upcoming new year. Come join us to watch as the blazing fire comes to life in front of one’s own eyes! 

“This will be night of inspiration as we look forward to longer and lighter days,” says Jane Lipton, Executive Director at Manayunk.com. “We encourage families to come connect to the natural world by learning about our local birds of prey and celebrating the return of light to our daily lives.”

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The Winter Solstice signifies the return of light and with it life. Although winter has been regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a much merrier mood. To many, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing. 


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