Winter Solstice 2009 in Vancouver
Posted 27 December, 2009 by graham in Canada
For Winter Solstice there was all sorts of fun organised in Vancouver. First, Janette went to a workshop at the community center to make a lantern.
It’s papier-mache glued around a balloon. Once the glue sets you pop the balloon and peel it out from the inside. Put a tea-light on some aluminium foil, attach the whole thing to a bamboo pole, and hey presto a lantern.
We took the finished product to a lantern procession. Several processions started all over Vancouver, and three of them, including ours, converged on Granville Island.
On a hill, on the island, torch bearers told tales and sang songs.
We decorated Julian’s stroller with battery powered icicles. We received many compliments. Possibly people genuinely liked the lights. Possibly they thought we were homeless, and were trying to be nice.
Then, incongruously, a marching band led us all to the other side of the island, where a fire dance was starting.
The company performing is called M. Pyre Fire.
After that, all sorts went on. Cookies, hot chocolate, line dancing, and even Morris Dancing, which Julian loved. He clapped to the music and bobbed his head.
Finally, it was getting late, and we crowded into a small room to watch a shadow puppet show, about a bear emerging from hibernation.
Behind the scenes are two people, a slide projector, and lots of transparencies and cut-outs. With such simple equipment, they put on a wonderful show.
As we walked home, we stopped to talk to a women heading to the celebration. She told us that a new condo development had put some trees out with a ‘Free’ sign. We weren’t going to get a tree this year (we have an outdoor one), but we felt like it found us.
So the three of us, a stroller decorated with icicle-effect lights, a papier-mache lantern, and a 7ft pine tree, attempt to get the bus. The first two buses to go past politely declined to let us board. The third bus had a young driver, he was amused, and kindly let us on. Thanks!
However the ancients celebrated the longest night of the year, we like to think that they would not have been disappointed by our attempt.
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