LEOMINSTER — The paths at Doyle Conservation Area were lined with hundreds of lanterns last week for a community event to celebrate the official calendar start of winter.
The multi-generational winter solstice lantern walk is sponsored annually by the Leominster Public Library in conjunction with North County Land Trust. This year’s affair at the scenic 464 Abbot Ave. spot on Friday, Dec. 19 — two days ahead of the actual winter solstice, the longest night of the year — featured a ethereal stroll through the winding, wooded trails, a warm bonfire, a fairy village, and solstice legends.
“This tranquil, dreamlike evening is the perfect way to enjoy the wonders of wintertime and celebrate the holidays with the ones you love,” promotion for the program stated, while signage along the path touched on the themes of light returning, rebirth, renewal, and hope after the longest night.
In addition, hot cocoa and a variety of delicious baked goods were available for purchase, with proceeds from the sales of the refreshments along with donations collected that evening going to North County Land Trust and their work to protect the environment in North Central Massachusetts.
North County Land Trust Director of Conservation and Climate Anna Wilkins stationed herself near the bonfire, welcoming visitors and chatting with them about the significance of winter solstice. She shared that this is the fourth year they have done the lantern walk and wore a festive crown on her head she created that featured shed deer antlers, greenery, and lights, a tradition she does every year.
“It helps you pay attention to what’s happening in the natural world, which is probably the most real thing you can pay attention to,” she said of what inspires the lantern walk that coincides with winter solstice. “There are so many world traditions in the Northern Hemisphere that focus on the winter solstice. It’s a time for reflection, a time for storytelling, a time for gathering and community, and it’s just such a beautiful time of year.”
Wilkins reported that her manager gets all kinds of lanterns from a local recycling center and they also hold workshops where people make them. Glass jar lanterns and lanterns made with ice embedded with leaves and petals dotted the landscape, creating a warm ambiance thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended the special event.
“It’s a nice time to pause for a moment and have a space that’s very peaceful,” Wilkins said, adding that the lantern walk is purposely unlike other holidays lights displays. “It’s not lit up like some of the other more commercial things.”
She went on to say that the yearly winter solstice gathering is designed to give participants “a little pause from the craziness of the season.”
“It’s a peaceful walk with these nice lanterns along the way. You are out in nature and actually, a lot of people don’t walk at night. I think it’s a really magical time in general and people get to experience that and it kind of pushes them out of their comfort zone. It’s really nice, I love it.”
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