12/21/2025
Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year and the beginning of our return to light, a quiet turning point written into nature itself.
For most of human history, this wasn’t a season to fear. It was a season to prepare for.
Field studies among Indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada found strong teeth, healthy development, and resilience through long, dark winters when traditional foods were preserved. Decline followed not cold or darkness, but the loss of ancestral nourishment.
Winter was once a time of:
• stored fats
• slow-cooked broths
• organ meats and preserved fish
• rest, storytelling, and gathering close
As daylight begins its return, consider honoring the season with practices that sustained generations:
• prioritize warming, nutrient-dense foods
• choose butter, tallow, broth, and slow-cooked meats
• embrace rest, earlier nights, and communal meals
Comment “winter” to read the full field studies and reflections.
