In northern climes, earlier cultures were rightly afraid that the sun might never return. Would the days lengthen again? Would they be able to grow food and be warm ever again?
And so rituals formed, practices to celebrate light and heat that would banish the night. Many of these are now incorporated into European traditions of lighting candles at this time of year, of bringing evergreens into the house to remind us of something green, of decorating with red berries to remember seeds and to bring joy, and of enjoying nourishing, warm food and drinks.
I love taking the longer, more secular view about holidays like Christmas. (Mind you, my childhood nativity scene is set up and I've been baking cookies decorated with red and green sugars for days. I can't not!) Isn't it comforting to know we share a history and practice with so many people who aren't exactly like ourselves, who might practice a religion different in details but basically alike in values?
In celebration I bring you a spiced mulled wine to warm your innards on this solstice. If you don't drink alcohol, try one of the non-alcoholic red wines or apple cider, and omit the brandy. And read down for a celebratory giveaway!
Hot Mulled Wine, or Glühwein
Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
1/4 cup brandy (or orange liqueur) - omit if desired
1 peeled orange, sliced into rounds
8 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cardamom pod
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste (or your desired sweetener)
Directions
Combine ingredients. Add wine, brandy, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and 2 tablespoons sweetener to a large saucepan. Stir briefly to combine.
Cook the mulled wine on medium-high heat until it just barely reaches a simmer. (Avoid letting it bubble — you don’t want to boil off the alcohol.) Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.
Serve in a mug with an extra cinnamon stick and a half an orange slice.
Happy Solstice! May the light return. If you celebrated Hanukkah, I hope it was a happy one, and if you are a Christmas and/or Kwanzaa celebrant, may it be merry and meaningful.
Readers: What's your favorite hot drink in the winter? I just got in a box of next week's book and would love to send a copy of Deep Fried Death to a commenter!
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Murder Uncorked, featuring my new wine bar manager Cece Barton, is out!
My next book to release is Deep Fried Death, #12 in the Country Store Mysteries.
We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.
Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.
