
Photo credit: eych-you-bee-ee-ahr-tee | Flickr
Darkness has descended on Vancouver. During December, we wake up in the dark, then trudge home from work and school in the dark. Days grow ever shorter until Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year, when Vancouver gets a meagre 8 hours and 14 minutes of light (That day also corresponds to the end of the world in the Mayan Calendar, just for a little extra doom and gloom).
If all that darkness has you down, you may want to check out the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival. This unique event, timed on Dec. 21 to coincide with the shortest day of the year, celebrates the return of light and warmth to our corner of the world as we move away from darkness and tilt ever closer to the sun.
On the evening of Friday, Dec. 21 – at five separate locations around the city – crowds carrying handmade paper lanterns will converge for a procession of light. After winding their way along city streets and seawalls, they’ll descend on local parks and community centres for singing, drumming, bonfires and a toast to the season.
Want to get in on the lantern action? Workshops for making your own paper lanterns are being held throughout the city during the month of December. And here’s what’s in store for the festival on Dec. 21: Continue reading:
Fight December Darkness at the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, Dec 21