WINTER SOLSTICE SWEATLODGE – The Longest Night

21 December 2026 | Monday
Granja, Vila Nova de Gaia

On the longest night of the year, we gather around the fire to honour the Winter Solstice and close the calendar year together.

As we reach the darkest point of the yearly cycle, the light begins its slow return. A beautiful moment to look back on the year we have lived, give thanks for what it has brought, and let go of what we no longer need to carry.

We will enter the Sweatlodge, a ceremonial space of darkness, warmth, steam, songs, silence and prayer. Sitting close to the Earth, surrounded by the heat of the stones and the breath of the water, we make space for reflection, purification and renewal.

The lodge invites us into simplicity, where we can meet ourselves and one another beyond our everyday roles.

We will close the evening sharing food and warmth around the fire, under the winter sky.

Evening Flow

15:30–16:00 – Arrival and preparation
16:00 – Lighting the sacred fire and opening the ceremony
17:30–20:30 – Sweatlodge Ceremony
20:30 – Sharing food and gathering around the fire
21:00–21:30 – Departure

Please arrive before 16:00. Once we light the fire, the ceremony has begun, and no further arrivals will be possible.

For those who would love to spend more time on the land, it is also possible to arrive one or more days earlier, by prior agreement, and help prepare the space together.

Please Bring

• Water bottle
• Natural clothing (preferably cotton or linen)
• Towel or natural cloth to sit on inside the lodge
• Warm clothes and a blanket for afterwards
• A meaningful object for the altar (optional)
• Flowers (optional)
• Bowl, cup and spoon
• Plant-based, organic food to share after the ceremony

Contraindications

Please contact me before registering if you are pregnant, have heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, epilepsy, are recovering from serious illness or surgery, or have any condition that may make prolonged heat exposure unsafe.

Please do not attend under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.

No previous experience is needed. You are always free to leave the lodge whenever your body asks for it.

Contribution

25€ per person

Alternative forms of contribution are welcome if money is a difficulty. We can find a fair exchange together.

Donations of wool or cotton blankets are also very welcome, as we continue creating and caring for our ceremonial space.

To reserve your place, please contact me directly.

About the Place

We gather on a beautiful piece of land near Granja, Vila Nova de Gaia, where we are slowly creating a space for community, ceremony and connection with nature.

The place is still simple and wild, without built facilities. We share the Earth, the trees, the fire and the open sky.

The exact location will be shared after registration.

A small gathering to honour the longest night, close the year with gratitude, and welcome the returning light.