Solstice Celebrations Expand Across Connecticut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

A new movement is spreading across Connecticut to celebrate the winter solstice in a way that brings together people across ethnicities and ideological boundaries. The winter solstice, the time when the days of sunlight start lengthening, harkens to the pre-historic roots of humanity and its common urge for warmth, goodness, and understanding,” says Patrick McCann, President of Hartford Area Humanists and Co-chair of the Connecticut Coalition of Reason.

Announced celebrations include:

Solstice Party by Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield Count (HFFC) 5 PM on Sunday December 20 at 323 Main Restaurant, Westport. Celebratory hat contest with prizes. Open mic for stories, jokes, songs, poems. Solstice Trivia contest. Public invited. Admission free, donations accepted. See meetup.com/hffcct.

Winter Solstice Party by Humanist Association of Connecticut, 7:30 pm Monday December 21, at Unitarian Society of New Haven and Hamden, 700 Hartford Tpke, Hamden. Potluck dinner. Live music including Broadway bassoonist Steve Boshi, flutist and violinist Mickey Koth, and pianist David Schafer. Line dancing and other spontaneous dancing of all types. Will be a collection for Syrian refugees. Open to the public. No charge. Call 203-281-6232 or cthumanist.org

Winter Solstice/HumanLight celebration by Hartford Area Humanists. 4:00 PM to 11:45 PM, Saturday, December 19, in Durham CT for any member of CT Coalition of Reason organizations. Authors Chris Stedman and Mary Johnson will be guest invocators. Donations will be collected for a local food bank. Details at meetup.com/Hartford-Humanists.

Solstice Celebration and Green Light Project Launch, by the Yale Humanist Community (YHC) 4 pm December 20, at the Upper New Haven Green. Open to the public. Featuring special guest Mary Johnson, Humanist celebrant and acclaimed author. An exciting new public art initiative will be launched. Across from Phelps Gate, 344 College Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Reception follows at The Grove, 760 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511. Severe weather location: The Grove. See glpnh.com or https://www.facebook.com/events/1029780613731588/

“The Connecticut Coalition of Reason spans groups across Connecticut who view Compassion and Reason as the best formula for understanding the world and making it a better place”, says Tanya Barrett, Co-Chair of the Connecticut Coalition of Reason.

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The Connecticut Coalition of Reason (www.connecticutcor.org) is made up of atheist, freethought, and humanist groups in Hartford and throughout the greater Connecticut region. Our goals are to foster secular community and raise awareness that these groups are available.

The United Coalition of Reason (www.UnitedCoR.org) works to raise the visibility and sense of unity among local groups in the community of reason by providing funding and expertise to help groups cooperate toward common goals.

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For more information contact:

Pat McCann
Co-Coordinator
Connecticut Coalition of Reason
860-704-9003
[email protected]
www.ConnecticutCoR.org

UnitedCoR’s Executive Director
Executive Director (in Washington DC)
United Coalition of Reason
202-744-1553
[email protected]
www.UnitedCoR.org