In early agricultural societies, where survival depended upon the cycles of nature, people developed rituals to acknowledge the winter solstice, the longest, darkest night of the year, as it gives way to lighter and longer days. The winter solstice falls around December 21.

The Zoroastrians celebrated the solstice as the birthday of the Sun; early Scandinavians paid tribute to their Yule time, burning logs for light and warmth; and Celtic Druids hung green holly to make way for spring. The Romans combined many pagan solstice celebrations into one holiday, Dies Naralis Invicti Solis (birthday of the unconquered Sun), held on December 25. Eventually, modern religions merged these celebrations with their own; it’s no coincidence that the dates correspond to the seasonal events that guided the ancients.

An appreciation of nature is essential to recovering meaning in whatever holidays we observe, says Barbara Biziou, author of The Joys of Everyday Ritual. We need to make time to notice the lengthening nights, changes in the landscape and gradual return of the light. As we decorate our evergreens and hang holly and mistletoe, we can cherish them all as long-held symbols of hope and endurance.

In the natural world, winter is a slow, quiet period. Biziou approaches this season as “a stopping time,” when she can pause, reflect back, and meditate on what the coming year offers.

In this way, she notes, we’re better able to “welcome in the spirit” of our particular festivities and shift our focus away from material objects. “These holidays really had nothing to do with gift-giving,” says Biziou. “Gifts are a modern addition and were originally meant just for children.”