= new reply since forum marked as read
It sure is getting dark sooner--I am wondering how everyone is going to mark this Winter Solstice! 
I will definitely share this with my daughter, our family songbird
We have chosen to stay home on Solstice...which is supposed to be the big 'party and singing performance' at the elementary school... they have eliminated ALL traditional songs, even the non religious ones, and replaced them with pop songs and rap. and personally I don't know why we can't sing Joy to the world, it's a good song 
Fuck that... sent them an email saying how dissappointed I was that they chose to fill the void with commercialism and hip hop sexual innuendo....I even offered to share with the students that ALL cultures share the return of Light theme at this time of year...found all kind of info and they didn't care. Just offered me the option to not participate. So the kids and I will be taking a walk, sharing offerings to the devas and trees and animals and maybe drum and pray in the forest