Winter table.

Now that Christmas has been cleared away, the seasonal display looks a little bit empty. That is just as it should be though, as outside is stark and bare. A simple soft snowy white cloth, some beeswax candles to represent the light and warmth that we crave right now, and an old, much thumbed Ladybird book about winter.  In the centre is a white cyclamen - a plant that blooms in Wintertime and, for me, is symbolic of light and growth in the darkness.

 

The pine cones from the seasonal table have been used to make suet and seed feeders for the birds.  Our garden robin was an early visitor.

So, not much can be done in this freezing cold weather except stay by the fire and work our way through some of our Christmas books.

 

Luckily on my last charity shopping trip I managed to pick up a couple of old fashioned thick woollen blankets, along with some linen napkins (my current obsession).  So, for the time being we can snuggle up cosily, and I can read my elder son's Christmas gift to me and dream of what I can do with all those vintage textiles. 

12th Night - end of misrule

So the Daft Days are over for another year. All our reuseable decorations are stowed safely in the loft and the greenery that we brought in a few weeks ago has been burnt with due ceremony on tonight's fire. If holly remains in the house after Twelfth Night then it turns into hobgloblins who will taunt you for the coming year. (I read this somewhere when I was young and it has stayed with me ever since.)

This burning of the green is our own family custom,  but fire rituals at this time of year are an age old tradition. Next week there will be a fire ceremony - The Burning of the Clavie in Burghhead, Moray next week, on the eve of the Old New Year.  At the end of the month, Shetland celebrates Up Helly Aa, where a Viking longship is burnt after much processing and celebrating.around Lerwick. For us, now though, it means the end of that twelve day pause between breaths and we can begin anew.

Fire shadows

It's almost midwinter here in Scotland. Long dark nights by the fire - dancing shadows in the flames.

 What pictures do you see?

 

Visit Tracy for midsummer in Australia and Shadow Shot Sunday