Winter Solstice at the Farm: Returning to the Family of Things

Winter Solstice at the Farm:

Returning to the Family of Things

At Philoxenia Life, we pay attention to thresholds—moments when the world invites us to pause, listen, and return to what is essential. The Winter Solstice is one of those sacred thresholds. On the longest night of the year, we gather not to push back the darkness, but to honor it as part of the holy rhythm of life.

Each December, families and neighbors come together at Garfield Community Farm, drawn by the land’s quiet beauty and the invitation to slow down. People arrive from across the East End—and sometimes from farther away—carrying stories, weariness, hope, and the simple desire to be together in a season that asks for rest.

“The Winter Solstice at the farm offers moments of introspection as we notice the natural world around us,” shares local community member Erika Gidley. “For my family, it’s a time to let go of negative thoughts and feelings, to breathe in the cold air, and to look ahead with hope as the light slowly begins to return.”

This gathering reflects a truth we hold close at Philoxenia Life: that hospitality begins with listening—to the land, to one another, and to the wisdom of seasons. Longtime Garfield Community Farm volunteer Megan Shelly names this beautifully: “Celebrating the solstice at the farm connects our cultural and spiritual traditions to the rhythms of the natural world, right here in our own community. Honoring the shortest day and longest night roots us in a perennial reality and in a shared sense of place.”

In winter, the farm teaches without words. Goats breathe softly in their shelters. Bare trees trace the darkening sky. The soil rests, holding what will one day emerge. Walking the paths at dusk, we are reminded that rest is not emptiness—it is trust. The farm becomes a living classroom, inviting us to believe that unseen work is still holy work.

To gather here on the Solstice is to return home—not just to land, but to relationship. The farm feels like a family: animals, trees, volunteers, neighbors, and newcomers held together by shared care. This is the heart of philoxenia—the love of the stranger, the widening of the circle, the remembering that we belong to one another.

Pastor Jennifer Frayer-Griggs of The Open Door Church reflects, “When my family attended the Winter Solstice gathering at Garfield Community Farm, we knew this was a place where everyone, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey, is welcome.” That openness is not an add-on; it is the foundation.

The evening begins with a guided meditation, inviting us to enter winter’s quiet with gentleness. A candlelit walk follows, leading the community slowly from darkness toward light—a shared pilgrimage through the farm, honoring what is resting beneath the frozen ground and what is quietly taking shape within us. At the center, a communal fire offers warmth, shared stories, and simple joy in the form of s’mores and laughter.

We often return to Mary Oliver’s words on this night: “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination… announcing your place in the family of things.” At the Winter Solstice, the farm becomes that family—a place where land and people meet in shared rhythm, humility, and hope.

This gathering is offered freely, in the spirit of abundance and welcome. In the stillness of the year’s longest night, may we notice the light returning—slowly, faithfully—and may we remember the quiet home that awaits us whenever we choose to return: to the land, to one another, and to the sacred work of belonging.