Bringing Light to the Longest Night: A Florida Family Celebration
Slow down and savor the shortest day of the year with this Florida-centered winter solstice guide. Designed for families, this printable packet includes everything you need to create a full day of seasonal rhythm—sunset walks, citrus crafts, warming recipes, and a quiet bedtime story to end the day. You’ll find instructions for making orange suncatchers, lanterns that glow with refracted light, a simmer pot to scent the home, and tea to share as night falls. The day closes with an illustrated read-aloud about a gopher tortoise weathering the longest night in her shared winter burrow. Whether you choose one or two activities or make a full day of it, this celebration is rooted in Florida’s ecology and designed to help families reconnect with the land, the light, and each other.