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Progressive Homeschool
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Happy Winter Solstice! May you have light

Thursday, December 21, 2006
Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Through the portal © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


Today is the shortest day of the year and tonight is the longest night. It is an important time for those of us who live in northern lattitudes because it marks a very real and very important occasion, the switch from loss of light every day to the slow return of light, precious seconds every day. I dont get SAD (seasonal affective disorder) so much as just sensitivity to light length and quality. On this day we celebrate the Sun and light candles at night in anticipation for the new year and rememberance for the past year.

If you would like to learn more about the winter solstice and traditions around it (ancient and new) try these links:
Winter Solstice wiki entry
Stonehenge wiki entry
Maps and layouts
Amazing Stonehenge photo gallery
Stonehenge clones and morphisims
Party at the henge
Modern Stonehenge Solstice Ritual
Modern Druids and the Stonehenge
Information on Druids and the Stonehenge
List of Solstice websites that may interest you
To mark the occasion, we made our own stonehenge cake! We printed out some layouts and photos.


(Stonehenge site)


Then we set to work!

We gathered the various materials we would need to build our stonehenge and sat down to the hard work of nibbling on ladyfingers and sneaking bites of frosting.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Materials © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


We trimmed off the ends of the ladyfingers and cut a few in half lengthwize (for the capstones).

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Cutting the stones © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(More cutting © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


Q spread frosting on her plate as a foundation.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Spreading the foundation © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


KD did the same. Baby O worked on his nap.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(KD working on her henge © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


The frosting had to be put all over the plate. Here Q is using an off-set spatula.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Spatula in hand © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


She had to be sure to get a deep enough layer of "snow" so that the ladyfinger stones would stand upright.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Frosting "snow" © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


Q studied the photos and layouts of the Stonehenge and then set to work constructing hers. If you look carefully, you will see that she stuck very closely to the actual layout.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Frosting does an excellent job of anchoring the stones © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


Almost done.

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(A few more stones © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


The henge takes shape!

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(Henge-in-progress © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


KD's henge is coming together beautifully. It did not last long tho. Alas, cake and frosting are too tempting for a 3 year old.

Stonehenge cake for Winter

(Little fingers work the stones © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)


And voila, CakeHenge 2006!

Stonehenge cake for Winter Solstice

(CakeHenge 2006! © 2006 Nika All rights reserved)

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