Winter arrived last night in Virginia, not by sleigh but by the tilted axis of our common home, Earth, sharing space with a rare interstellar occurrence of the planets Jupiter and Saturn passing so closely they appeared to be one bright star, popularly referred to as the “Christmas Star”.

Why is this so unusual? According to this NASA article, “It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will for 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction.” Wow. 800 years ago an Algonquin tribe may have gathered by a bonfire built along the banks of their river, Yeokanta (the James), and marveled at the celestial sight.

400 years ago this night would have been marked with the knowledge that the ensuing winter months could be harsh. Our Native Americans planned for at least two months of lean times and would have taught the early English and Africans important survival skills for gathering and utilizing nuts like the pecan, or paccan (Algonquin for “all nuts requiring a stone to crack”). If you have been on one of our Signature Bike Rides at Upper Shirley Vineyards you know that nestled in your bike basket was a small bag of deliciousness I call “Ginger-Scented Pecans”.

Our small gift to you this holiday season is my pecan recipe. If you make them for yourself or your loved ones, won’t you share with us on social media? Tag us @basketandbike or #basketandbike if you make them.

DIY HEALTHY PECAN RECIPE

I chose pecans as our signature snack for a few simple reasons, one of which is that my recently departed mother always gave bags of shelled pecans to friends and neighbors at Christmastime. I was a bit overwhelmed when, by researching this week, I discovered how many connections exist around this little nut and our bike excursions.

Powhatan hunters would have roasted pecans for their journeys, providing an energy source and nourishment when other food was scarce. Pecans were also used for trading, and Native Americans planted trees along their trading routes to ensure a sufficient store for future generations of commerce, not knowing they eventually would be parted from this piece of their economy.

The pecan tree, native to the Southeastern United States, grows deep roots, can live for a thousand years, and produces fruit for 300 years. Not only is this little nut tasty, it is packed with numerous health benefits. The US is a producer of 80 percent of pecans grown worldwide.

Growing up, no Christmas was complete without the wooden nut bowl filled with whole pecans, nutcracker, and picks on the den coffee table. I could sit for hours in front of the fire, cracking open those shells to share with my family. I imagine that Pocahontas, in her time, may have brought an offering of paccans to the English settlers. Perhaps she sat by an open fire, teaching John Smith how to crack them with a stone to sample the goodness found in this new world, maybe even at the occasion of the Winter Solstice.

Universally celebrated by countless cultures and through timeless traditions for thousands of years, the winter solstice marks the emergence of new light. For me, it heralds the light of love brought to earth.

With the clear night sky in the forecast for Richmond tonight, and one of our Holiday Electric Bike Tours with RVA on Wheels heading out for a sunset ride along the James River with the festive downtown light display, I hope you will join me in heart to gaze up at this “great” bright conjunction. It leads us from the longest night into a new day, with all the promise of ever-increasing light in our lives, with the hope of sustenance while we wait for warmer bike excursions and picnic rides to return. Don’t forget to roast a few pecans to sustain you during the wait.