Winter Solstice 2013: Beach Celebration & Bonfire | Ocean Beach

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Join the Reclaiming Collective on Solstice Day—the shortest day and the longest night of the year—for their annual, traditional ritual and celebration at Ocean Beach on Saturday, December 21, 2013.

Gather at 3:30 pm; the ritual will start at 4 pm. There’ll be dancing and singing around a bonfire.

Please note, this is a spiritual solstice event, not a beach party. There’s no alcohol or drugs allowed. So if you’re looking for a drunken beach rager, this isn’t the event for you. But if you’re looking for a way to connect with others who celebrate the solstice, you’re welcome to join.

Bring clean firewood (no pallets, nails, plywood, painted or treated wood), layers of warm clothes, food or non-alcoholic drinks to share, and a towel if you want to plunge. A flashlight and dry socks are also helpful. Drums and other instruments are welcome for post-ritual music. Buckets and trash bags are a great way to show special love for the beach.

The event will be at Ocean Beach, near the end of Taraval St. The scenic L-Taraval train goes from downtown BART stations to the beach in about 40 leisurely minutes.

Will the bonfire take place? The Saturday ritual includes lighting of the traditional Solstice bonfire, which is now banned by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Outreach is currently underway to the GGNRA staff to inform them of the bonfire plans and discuss the bonfire ban and religious rights.

The Solstice Day ritual will either celebrate an agreement regarding bonfires, or some people may risk arrest by lighting the fire.

A legal beach ritual is planned for 3:30 pm on Friday December 20, 2013. Ritual and activities are the same, but there will be no bonfire.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.