The 5th annual Longest Night celebration took place on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island on the winter solstice – the longest night of the year, where the sun peeks out of bed after 8 o’clock and sets again before 4:30 PM. About 50 of us walked in a lantern procession through the forest to a nearby field to find the big bonfire aglow and the stage set for a shadow puppet performance, music, and a big pot of soup with buns to be shared by all, about 100 people in total. This event began as a potluck with six families in 2021, a chance to fight off the doldrums of the dark days by being together around a fire. It’s grown since then to include the local daycare community, five puppeteers, a musician, local chefs, production help and a foley artist, and now the whole island of 1300 residents is invited! Not everyone comes – it’s dark, and often rainy – but those who do are rewarded with a reminder of how gathering nourishes us. It’s that nourishment we want to take with us through the winter, to sustain us until spring comes again.
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