Regarding the point about “us vs them”, I agree that some traditional rituals have this issue, but I can’t think of anyone who would fill the role of “them” in the case of the Solstice celebration. The event was mostly about humanity as a whole prevailing over darkness / death / ignorance / etc. This seems much less problematic than ritualistic bonding over being different from some particular group of people.
Regarding the point about “us vs them”, I agree that some traditional rituals have this issue, but I can’t think of anyone who would fill the role of “them” in the case of the Solstice celebration. The event was mostly about humanity as a whole prevailing over darkness / death / ignorance / etc. This seems much less problematic than ritualistic bonding over being different from some particular group of people.