"Unite to Ignite the Longest, Darkest Night"

Not only is this Friday the first official day of winter (so even though it hasn’t snowed yet, maybe there’s still hope for a white Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/ Boxing Day), it’s also the winter solstice. Around 12:20 a.m. Universal Time on December 22nd, or for Torontonians, 7:20 p.m. Eastern Time on December 21st, the Earth's northern hemisphere is farthest away from the sun. The winter solstice marks the 24 hours of the least daylight, thus the shortest day on the Gregorian calendar.

How can you not go out on the longest night of the year? Might as well join Red Pepper Spectacle Arts for their annual Kensington Market Festival of Lights on December 21st. Meet at Augusta and Oxford by 6 p.m. to march in “a luminescent lantern-lit carnival parade.” Ring bells, carry a lantern, and toss glitter amongst the stilt walkers, life-sized puppets, and firebreathers in honour of the winter solstice. This year’s theme is Peace Now!, so if you have any related mobile art, be sure to bring it along.

Photo by Chris Hoare.