The Winter Solstice

Opinions are my own & not of anyone associated with me or my employers.

Thanks to Luiza Foster for helping me write & edit this!

Recently, I hosted friends for the Winter Solstice. While the main reason was to hang out with them, I had a deeper motivation. I’ve been interested in folklore across the globe for a while, but British traditions hold a special place in my heart (as I am British). Celebrating one of this land’s oldest ceremonies was a way for me to explore a sense of “British-ness” that I can actually be proud of, and one that avoids the pitfalls of modern patriotism.

Within modern patriotism, I believe there are two competing ideals. One is a genuine love for one’s home & a devotion to the welfare of their neighbors, and the other is the nationalistic view that has manifested itself as a desire to compete with other countries. It is often rooted in a nostalgia for the British Empire. I think that devotion to improving your own area is very important in making it a better place to live.

The idea that the British Empire was the last time that Britain was truly “great” has no benefits. This was a time of pure capitalistic growth, with no regard for the cultures and folklore of other places. This view spills over into modern anti-immigrant views, with a sense of entitlement that because someone is born in Britain means that they deserve a better quality of life. This style of nationalistic patriotism is harmful because I believe that it does not breed a sense of community within a nation, and instead creates division. In my opinion, a great nation is one that values community & empathy. Nationalistic patriotism is an easy way for people to have a sense of pride, without doing the work involved in building a great nation. Competition with other nations takes energy away from this work of bettering the nation. Instead of this nationalistic, entitlement-based patriotism, I propose that we move towards a contribution-based patriotism.

If national pride is rooted in a feeling of superiority then it becomes both exclusionary to people who aren’t of that nation & inclusionary to people who don’t have a desire to make it better. Therefore, I would like to encourage this positive patriotism through small actions that engage you in your own community and improves the wellbeing of your surroundings. Through this, we can shift the definition of modern patriotism from “I deserve X because I was born here” to “I’ve provided Y for my fellow citizens, now X can be provided to me.”. Note that this does not mean that X & Y are of equal value, only that they are both of value greater than zero.

I found a similar point echoed in George Orwell’s 1945 Essay Notes on Nationalism. In it, he warns against the rise of Nationalism, which he defined as “inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality”. Orwell doesn’t focus on his definition of Patriotism as much as Nationalism in this essay, but he defines it as “[a] devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally”. It’s interesting to me that this issue has been one that is common throughout modern British history. While I admire Orwell’s distinction here, believing a way of life to be “the best in the world” is potentially problematic and this line of thought often leads back to nationalism. As is often heard, “comparison is the thief of joy”. We do not need to believe the English countryside, for example, is the best in the world to want to protect it, just that it is worth the effort to do so. Also, a “defensive” outlook can feel stagnant, so whilst we shouldn’t be aggressive, we should always be moving forward.

How does this relate to the Winter Solstice? Along with my interest in the preservation of the natural beauty of this country, I would like to start a revival of British folklore traditions within my friendgroup. I’ve been struggling to formalise my thoughts on the topic of British-ness for a while, and I figured one of Britain’s oldest traditions would be a good way to bring it together. In its most simplistic meaning, the day symbolises change and the idea of looking forward to something more positive (longer days). I would like to look forward to positive change as well, and I think it starts with a mentality shift towards contribution-based patriotism. I believe that everyone who lives in Britain should be proud to live here, and treat their community with respect accordingly.