Solstice is one of those festivals formerly shared by humans and beavers alike for thousands of years, until recently on the geological time scale. Even though, by Solstice, we have been frozen into our lodges for several months, subsisting on our winter stores, it is a holiday of much joy.

There is much to celebrate in the darkness of winter! A winter’s sleep is home to many dreams, and on Solstice, the family gathers around to recount the first dreams of winter, usually the most vivid and most useful for making predictions for the coming year. We celebrate our bounty, and we celebrate the transition of life. Many beavers die during the winter, but more are born. This is cause enough for us to be cheerful that life goes on!

Normally, there is little room in the lodge for frolic, which is where the stories come in, but we nonetheless make a point of thumping our tails on the floor of the lodge before going to sleep, because it is one of our most unifying actions!

Now that I’m a beaver in a summer city, I don’t have to worry about getting frozen into a lodge, and there’s plenty of room for frolic. However, I try to make a point of getting together with one or both of my brothers to recount our dreams and reminisce about Mom, Dad, and George. In the spirit of tradition, Solstice is the time when I sit down and make my adventure plans for the upcoming year!