(I already posted it to the facebook thread of Ray)
I live in Berlin where we had our 7th Solstice this year (technically the first three years where in another city, but there’s continuity).
I think this year we were around 17ish people.
It’s neither big nor small in your categories but it does what it’s does what we want. On person who was their the first time noted afterwards something along the lines of it having been the day in their lives that felt the most meaningful to them.
A majority of the people in our local community spend Christmas with their families and the 24th is not a day where there would be enough interest to have an event with rationalists in Berlin.
I don’t think you can hold a Christmas like event every year at the 21.12 either. There are public holidays that enable the 24 (or 25⁄26) to be a practical date that you don’t have for newly created events.
The problem of what those people who don’t have a family with whom they can be at the official Christmas date can’t be solved by having a solstice event at the 21. If those people want to not be alone they need an event with friends at that actual date.
The 3-chapter ark and it’s narrative feels integral to our event and has the value of being refined tradition to me. I wouldn’t want to break the tradition we build up by changing the name around.
I had been planning to write an abstracted reply to this (along with a couple other comments in a similar vein) that addressed the issue more comprehensively. But, ended up deciding to note here for now:
”17 people” is within what I meant by “small”. (I think “small” caps out at around 25, depending on how well you know each other). I think I accidentally conveyed a different message than I meant to.
I’m not quite sure what the ideal relationship between Big and Small solstice is (although obviously it varies from group to group). The last couple years, Big Bay Solstice didn’t quite do the thing I wanted, and I held a small private solstice (around 15 people) that was basically my own usual take on the 3 chapter arc.
In years where Big Solstice hit exactly the notes I wanted it to hit, I wouldn’t feel the need for “Small Solstice that is just a smaller-scale replica of Big Solstice”, and I’m not sure if I’d prefer “just kinda chill with my friends having dinner and cookies and a fireplace” or “come up with a different ritual that somehow directly reflects our relationship.”
I think there’s basically N things that are good to have, and whether these work best as two separate events depends on your situation:
A time to gather with your “extended community” (whatever that means – could mean 250 people, could mean 20)
A time to gather with your close friends, or with people highly aligned with you (could mean, like, 3 people, or like 25. I think the 50-person 2012 NYC Solstice sort of straddles the upper boundary here)
A time to have a serious ritual arc
A time to have warm fuzzy togetherness
The important thing to me is that people have an opportunity for each of these.
(I already posted it to the facebook thread of Ray)
I live in Berlin where we had our 7th Solstice this year (technically the first three years where in another city, but there’s continuity).
I think this year we were around 17ish people.
It’s neither big nor small in your categories but it does what it’s does what we want. On person who was their the first time noted afterwards something along the lines of it having been the day in their lives that felt the most meaningful to them.
A majority of the people in our local community spend Christmas with their families and the 24th is not a day where there would be enough interest to have an event with rationalists in Berlin.
I don’t think you can hold a Christmas like event every year at the 21.12 either. There are public holidays that enable the 24 (or 25⁄26) to be a practical date that you don’t have for newly created events.
The problem of what those people who don’t have a family with whom they can be at the official Christmas date can’t be solved by having a solstice event at the 21. If those people want to not be alone they need an event with friends at that actual date.
The 3-chapter ark and it’s narrative feels integral to our event and has the value of being refined tradition to me. I wouldn’t want to break the tradition we build up by changing the name around.
I had been planning to write an abstracted reply to this (along with a couple other comments in a similar vein) that addressed the issue more comprehensively. But, ended up deciding to note here for now:
”17 people” is within what I meant by “small”. (I think “small” caps out at around 25, depending on how well you know each other). I think I accidentally conveyed a different message than I meant to.
I’m not quite sure what the ideal relationship between Big and Small solstice is (although obviously it varies from group to group). The last couple years, Big Bay Solstice didn’t quite do the thing I wanted, and I held a small private solstice (around 15 people) that was basically my own usual take on the 3 chapter arc.
In years where Big Solstice hit exactly the notes I wanted it to hit, I wouldn’t feel the need for “Small Solstice that is just a smaller-scale replica of Big Solstice”, and I’m not sure if I’d prefer “just kinda chill with my friends having dinner and cookies and a fireplace” or “come up with a different ritual that somehow directly reflects our relationship.”
I think there’s basically N things that are good to have, and whether these work best as two separate events depends on your situation:
A time to gather with your “extended community” (whatever that means – could mean 250 people, could mean 20)
A time to gather with your close friends, or with people highly aligned with you (could mean, like, 3 people, or like 25. I think the 50-person 2012 NYC Solstice sort of straddles the upper boundary here)
A time to have a serious ritual arc
A time to have warm fuzzy togetherness
The important thing to me is that people have an opportunity for each of these.