Winter Solstice Celebration

[Hosted by the Clifton Improvement Association]

This day marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in our hemisphere.

Don Orne, Gong Master, will lead the gathering of friends, neighbors, and guests in a participatory celebration of the season's start. Bruce Greenwald, sculptor and architect, will answer questions about the Sun Circle and its design of naturally-formed columnar basalt.

"The regular crowd includes the officers and Board of the Clifton Improvement Association, a group of bikers from Gut 'n Feathers', the Marblehead Peace Committee and Ministerial Association, photographers and artists and is quite a diverse group!" enthused CIA President Lynn Nadeau, "And so many people comment that they are thankful for the event. Some people are grateful for the knowledge they have gained about the sun's position on the horizon. Some people deeply appreciate the diverse blessings which raise life above the quotidian. Some people love sharing the moment whether it be the music, the singing bowl or the surprise contributions. It's just a wonderful communal experience! "

"Bring a drum, poem, a song, a friend and show up; it is a deep honor to be in your presence and I love you!" Orne adds."

The ceremony will be postponed until Friday morning in case of heavy rain. 

Beach Bluff Park, owned and cared for by the Clifton Improvement, has become a great attraction for people from far and near where they can observe the sea and the sky, access the beach and sit and contemplate in peace. The park and parking lot across the street is open to everyone. 

Adds Sheryl Levenson, Vice President, "We are always looking for new volunteers - people who are willing to help plan and execute the CIA's mission of education about the preservation, protection and improvement of the scenic, historic and natural character of our open and public spaces."