Winter Soltice Celebrations

Yesterday was the first day of winter so as we celebrate Winter Soltice's glory with the other December celebrations of holidays I find myself remembering the,"good old days" of winter. Everyone has their own favorites winter stories to tell over and over which brings all of us the joyful neighborhood sounds during the last month of each year.

Growing up in our South Park neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio in the 50's and 60's meant that traditions of all cultural and ethic celebrations included seasonal activites that were commonplace to many. One of the first activities that South Parkers enjoined was the change of seasons that each had there own wonderful events of celebrating places, people, and the seasons. Although we were sad that summer was ending the fall colours were beyond belief with their breathtaking golden red leaves on trees that are grandparents had watched grow up to the beautiful sky with glimmering sunlight.

As the celebration of Autumn was definitely welcome with hot cider, pumpkin patches, trick or treat, and best of all jumping and running in piles of crispy crackling leaves; we all prepared for the prism of snow flakes. It was great fun to find the strongest trash can lids, lined waterproof gloves, untreaded snowy alleys, hills, inclines and such to celebrate the first day of winter.

Sledding down the Morton Ave and Apple St. hills dodging cars was enough to take your breath away instantly. Tiptoeing at night across the division lines between South Park and Wyoming Hills neighborhoods brought a lot of tension but total excitement as we jumped in old red flyer wagons and flew like eagles down Wayne Ave and Wyoming street hills eating icy snow as it blew in our faces covering our sights and plowing into curbs, cement blocks, and yes once in a while parked cars.

After hours of not caring that our clothes were frozen we out of exhaustion went home to our pot belly stoves praying that we would be able to squeeze inbetween the older and much bigger kids and get some of that warm home lit coal fired hot air. Some of us loved hot chocolate with marshmellow smeared all over our mouths, others loved hot cider with apple slices in it but I loved coffee with hershey chocolate.

We had so much innocent fun not just with our brothers and sisters but with parents, neighbors, even strangers all brought together to celebrate winter together regardless of religion, race, or creed our commonality was having fun in the snow. I recall when my foster father Winfield taught me to make snow angels, it was amazing to watch a grown man plop down in icy wet snow and make a perfect snow angel that looked bigger than our house, at least to me. We had a contest test, he and I would go to the grassy area behind Emerson Elementary and one at a day spread our arms out as though we were flying on the ground to make wings and then kick our legs left and right , so happy and free we were in the winter with snow angel contests. One really blistery cold snow we talked my brothers and neighbors to all lay down in the snow about one arms's length away in a line and we all made snow angels to see whose was the perfect ones. My snow angel was the smallest and neatest but had only one wing and Winfield's nephew won with his double winged angel with a hat and gloves made out of snowballs, smart and creative kid.

Wishing you the happiest of memories of winter soltice, the first day of winter, and may all your holidays be safe, warm, loving, and plenty of snow angels, snow people, and all the love from memories of wintery fun