Solstice. It’s an annual astronomical phenomenon. The days get
shorter, the nights get longer. The days are dim, the weather is bad,
the harvest is mostly in, and spring is a long ways off.
So, what to do? Party, of course!
Welcome to the Baronies of Three Mountains and Stromgard Dual Yule
Deux, where we will chase away the darkness by sampling historic
Winter Solstice traditions and foods from around the world.
Almost every culture has some kind of celebration at this time of
year. For some, it’s tied explicitly to Solstice. Others have a
religious holiday that happens to coincide with the season. Singing,
story-telling, and playing games are nearly universal. There are
often special foods that are traditional to eat. Abundant greenery,
brightly-colored fruits, and lights are common decorations. We have
tried to pay homage to many different cultures as we planned this
event.
We have several removes during the day, small tastings of food from
around the world to complement your own offerings. We will travel
from east Asia westward, through western and central Asia, the
Mediterranean, Africa, Europe, and the Americas — explore and enjoy!
Our decorations echo the surprisingly common solstice themes of indoor
greenery (artificial), plenty of lights (no actual fires), midwinter
stars (also fake), and bright shades of orange and red that represent
fruit, berries, and the sun. Plus we will use our baronies’ existing
decorations and banners to pay homage to our own SCA past.
Our activities include making things, music-making and dancing,
story-telling and games. Auctions and contests abound. Father and
Mother Yule will visit to share stories and games. We will have a
labyrinth to be walked. And more!
We look forward to your presence!
And now the fine print… (well, most of it. there might be more later.)
* Parking is limited. The Lodge does not have a parking lot, and we
usually park along the streets and in nearby parking lots.
Car-pooling is encouraged! We will have a drop-off area in front of
the Lodge and a few (very few) parking places reserved for those with
mobility issues. The building has a ramp at the kitchen door and a
chair lift rated to 350 pounds on the inside stairs.
* Seating is limited. You might want to bring your own chair. We are
serving small bites throughout the day rather than having a single
sit-down feast. In addition to the indoor seating, we will have an
outdoor pavilion (covered, and hopefully with a propane heater) that
will seat additional people. Please be discreet if you have alcoholic
beverages, and please be extremely careful (and promptly clean up your
messes) if you bring any food or drink upstairs.
* We are providing morsels of yumminess throughout the day (with
ingredient lists!), but no sit-down meal and probably not enough for a
complete meal. Please supplement our offerings with your own favorite
Solstice and winter holiday foods. And please do join our midday
dessert potluck, where you can contribute to and sample some of the
lovely goods that are also available for auction!
* We have a fair number of plates and bowls and silverware, but you
are welcome to bring your own. If so, please take your dirty dishes
home rather than washing them at the event. Although we do have mugs,
you might be better off bringing your own drinkware. Simple beverages
will be available throughout the day, not just during the removes.
* We can accept cash or checks only, with checks made out to the
Barony of Three Mountains SCA Inc. There is no gate fee, but we will
gratefully accept donations, and there are other options to contribute
by bidding on the very fine items in our auction area.
* Please pre-register so that we have some idea of how many attendees
we should plan for. We especially would like to know how many
children to expect, since our baronies have a tradition of specially
acknowledging our younger attendees, and both the coronets and Father
Yule want to make sure we have something for everyone.
* Gold Key (simple loaner garb, available in many sizes) will be
available. Please let Gate know when you arrive and we will happily
loan you something suitable for the event. Also, for everyone, please
do check in at gate to sign our attendance sheets and to sign a waiver
if you aren’t a currently-paid member.
