Comments about ‘Pagans celebrate solstice’

When the Deseret News tries to appear more mainstream it always comes off a bit too trivial.
Maybe an article about the history of the Oija board would be nice.
But these pieces ARE exclusive. And they are grist for journalism awards.

I enjoyed this article. It is refreshing to read of our other neighbors. Less Mo suffers from head in the sand. A common problem in Utah.

I've always enjoyed the flow of nature throughout the cycles of the year and often "celebrate" the changing seasons, the equinoxes and solstices with family and friends with a barbecue or other special meal and get together. This year was the first year I participated in an organized solstice celebration with pagans and wiccans. It was a very family friendly event with most people bringing their kids. Everyone was decked out in light-colored, flowing, summery clothing with many adding head wreaths, necklaces, bracelets and anklets made of flowers, herbs, and leaves.

We had a bonfire and plenty of opportunity to sing and dance and tell stories. People brought their drums, flutes, guitars and other instruments and made merry in as harmonious a fashion as possible. :o)

We shared good food and token gifts that bespoke the abundance of the earth - shells, stones, small plants, dried herb bundles. What a great time of celebration and gratitude.

We always set aside the winter solstice as "us time" taking advantage of the longest night of year. It's just a fun way to focus on being a couple and doing something special together.

God bless those pagans!

My wife and I enjoyed summer solstice the old-fashioned way. Watching TV.

Dear Open:
Actually I live in Chicago where the LDS population is 1/4 of 1 percent. In my opinion this article smacks of faux sophistication to show how open, tolerant, and enlightened DN can be. I think they are trying too hard and it comes off as silly.

When 95% of the readers of the DesNews are active LDS doesn't it make sense to write stories that are of interest to its readers? Nope. Not to the idiots in charge.

In fact, we don't just do a story on this. We send photographers. We post multiple pics of the attendees and even have an audio slideshow. There were fewer pictures of President Bush's last visit to Utah in the DesNews than we have of the Pagan celebration.

How many people attended this? About 40. The average pinewood derby along the Wasatch Front attracts more people. Yet this is the sort of news reporting we are subjected to in the name of diversity and objective journalism.

What a splendid grand ocasion when people can coexist amongst their cultural differences. i found it brilliant, a Deseret News Photographer attending Sunstave Summer Solstice Sabat: a definite effort for diversity from a paper funded by the LDS church. this coverage will be apreciated by isolated pagans out of the loop and inform the non-pagan readers. I am proud to see such harmony in the realm of culture and spirituality here in the Salt Lake Community. I comend you kieth johnson for your efforts in opening the mainstream awareness and the concept of religeo-status quo even if you weren't the writer. i am glad to see people are out here giving an ear to optimistic coverage of an ostracized culture. this can be at times as extreme as coming out of the closet for homosexuals or supporting a minority political movement. so think about your place in the world and how this affects you as a coworker or a friend. does this separate you or give you a closer connection to yourself? allow for your own insight and merely understand where you on on this earth.

To Less is MoMo and PapaCorn,

You may be unaware, but the LDS Church has a large PR department with representatives called to serve in every stake. Their work is to send out press releases to local news media about accomplishments of members, service projects church members are involved in, publicity on pagents, open houses and other church-sponsored events among other items. It does this even in areas where there is a miniscule LDS population.

Why do they do this? To promote understanding and recognition of the LDS Church and its members. It is apparently viewed as a good thing.

The Deseret News publishing articles about small segments of our community hopefully accomplishes the same thing. Afterall, this story is about Utahns.

We were very happy to see this story. Blessings of Solstice!

Our Lady of the Wasatch - ATC

It's great to remember where the roots of our world came from!