DEBORAH CROMBIE: I adore Paula Munier's Mercy Carr books when they are set any time of the year, but Christmas, and Christmas in snowy Vermont, is the icing on the Buche de Noel!! And if a new adventure featuring Mercy and Troy with their search and rescue dogs Elvis and Susie doesn't get you in the mood to curl up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, Paula has a few more suggestions to get you in the mood!
Winter Solstice
“You can’t get too much winter in the winter.”
— Robert Frost
Winter is my favorite season. I love everything about it: the snow, the soup, and most important, reading and writing snuggled up with a cat and a dog (or two or three or four) by the fire. That’s why, for me, the Winter Solstice is a very important holiday.
So important that in my latest Mercy Carr mystery, THE SNOW LIES DEEP, the Winter Solstice plays a big role, as do the Druids who observe the longest night of the year in a grand way in this story. And while I’m no Druid—fond as I am of trees—I do honor the solstice in my own way. I thought I’d share some of those ways with you.
Some of these may seem surprisingly familiar to you, since the winter solstice was the precursor to many of our modern-day holiday traditions. Pagan peoples of old welcomed the turning point that was the winter solstice, with its promise of longer, warmer, more sunlit days to come. They celebrated the return of the sun by burning Yule logs, lighting bonfires, decorating with evergreens and mistletoe, singing and drumming and feasting. I know, very familiar, right?
Perhaps we are all pagans at heart. But no matter what your tradition or how you typically celebrate this time of year—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, etc.—you might enjoy incorporating some of these Winter Solstice customs into your holiday season this year (if you don’t already):
Go for the Light. The winter solstice is all about the light in the darkness, so anything that represents that light is apropos:
--Yule log. Burn a Yule log in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit for the twelve days between the Winter Solstice and New Year’s as is the tradition—or whenever you wish. The kind of log is up to you: The English Druids use oak, the Scottish Druids prefer birch, and the French Druids like cherry, with a little wine sprinkled on top because, well, they’re French.
--Bonfire. Traditionally, bonfires were lit from sunset to sunrise on the night of the Winter Solstice to welcome the sun. you can burn yours—safely—any time. All you need is wood, family and friends, and maybe a guitar. I’m just saying.
--Ice Lantern. Lanterns of any kind are good ways to honor the solstice, but if you’re looking for a fun crafty activity to do with your kids or grandkids, making ice lanterns fits the bill. There are a number of how-tos on YouTube; researching different methods is half the fun. Note: If you live where it’s warm in the winter, you can freeze the water in your freezer in plastic tubs. Let there be light!
--Candles. Advent candles, Menorah candles, Kinara candles…whatever warms your heart and soul. Any and all candles brighten the gloom on a winter’s day. Enjoy!
Mistletoe. If you’ve never hung mistletoe, now’s the time. Mistletoe has always been sacred to the Druids because it grows on trees—and even while trees go dormant in the winter, mistletoe does not. Its host trees are “dead,” but the parasitic plant grows on, despite the cold and lack of sunlight. We’re talking a symbol of fertility here. Which leads us to kissing. Kissing is good.
Evergreen. Wreaths, garlands, centerpieces—however you decorate with pine or spruce or fir, you’re participating in an age-old tradition that honors the trees that survive the winter with strength and resilience and vibrancy. Go for it!
Nature Tree. Adorn a living pine or spruce or fir in your garden or the nearby woods with unsalted popcorn, fresh cranberries, and dried fruit. Be sure to use sturdy string, and do not use fishing line, which can harm birds. Note: If you live in bear country, skip this—and stick to planting native plants that attract birds and other pollinators.
Bûche De Noël. This is the traditional Yule log dessert. Mercy Carr’s grandmother Patience bakes one in THE SNOW LIES DEEP—a homemade chocolate sponge cake with cocoa hazelnut whipped cream rolled it into a log, with a chocolate ganache icing topped with fresh sprigs of rosemary and sugared cranberries. Not exactly easy, but here’s a recipe from the kitchn that tries to streamline the process.
What are your holiday traditions that echo back to the Winter Solstice? Let’s chat about it here on Jungle Reds! Here’s to a lovely holiday season for us all—and the coming of the light!
It’s December in Vermont—and Mercy is determined to give her baby Felicity the very best first Christmas ever. Starting with a visit to see Santa at Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée. But when Santa abandons his post and runs into the woods, Mercy and Elvis go after him—and the shepherd finds the jolly old elf flat on his back in a small clearing, dead, a Yule log ablaze on his belly.
Mercy wants nothing more than to stay at home at Grackle Tree Farm taking care of Felicity, but as this St. Nick is really “Uncle” Lazlo, her family presses her to help solve their old friend’s murder and save the Solstice Soirée. She demures, but when another Santa ends up dead and the bones of a long-missing trapper turn up in the woods, Mercy and Troy and the dogs team up with Thrasher and Harrington to rid Northshire of the bad elements ruining the holidays for their town and their family.
Together they chase down clues leading to poachers and endangered lynx, evangelical zealots and Russian emigrés, and the terrible secrets haunting the village, past, present, and future. It’s not just Santa at risk, it’s everyone in town—including baby Felicity. It’s up to Mercy and Troy and the dogs capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night was named Library Journal’s Mystery Pick of the Month. The Night Woods, the sixth book in the series, earned a starred Library Journal review among other acclaim. THE SNOW LIES DEEP debuts in December 2025. Along with her love of nature, Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue animals, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. She’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She lives in New England with her family and four rescue dogs and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs. For more, check out www.paulamunier.com.
DEBS: Paula, I thought you might get a kick out my daughter's Instagram post on Monday!
Because of course she is a big fan, too!
Congratulations, Paula, on your newest Mercy Carr book . . . they're always a treat and this one's on my teetering to-be-read pile . . . .
ReplyDeleteHere, Advent candles, Christmas trees, wreaths, and mistletoe are all part of this season of celebration . . . .