Notes from Copenhagen Secular Solstice 2024
post by Søren Elverlin (soren-elverlin-1) · 2024-12-22T15:08:20.848Z · LW · GW · 0 commentsContents
What Went Well Growth in Attendance Coherent Event Arc Engaged Participation Speech on Nonviolence Songs What Could Be Improved Space Constraints Music and Instruments Candle Logistics Ending the Ceremony Goodie Bags for Candles Dress-code Recording Comments on Songs "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" "X Days of X-Risk" "The Litany of Tarrrrrski" "To Be Better" "View from the IIS at Night" "Brighter Than Today" "Hymn to the Breaking Strain" "Here Comes the Sun" Reflections None No comments
Last night, we held the Traditional Copenhagen Secular Solstice celebration. Here’s a brief overview of what went well, what could be improved and reflections on the songs.
What Went Well
Growth in Attendance
Attendance increased to 14 participants, which is exciting! Rituals gain a lot from being performed by many people at the same time.
Coherent Event Arc
I structured the celebration to more clearly follow a narrative arc: Full light → Full candlelight → Partial candlelight → One candle → Darkness → Back to one candle → Partial candlelight → Full candlelight → Full light. The transitions in this structure were central to the activities.
Engaged Participation
The participants were enthusiastic, contributing to the rituals, songs and activities. Asking participants to state and then extinguish a belief during "The Litany of Tarski" led to mixed reactions. Some found it hard to detach from their chosen beliefs, which is an intended result. Extinguishing candles with one's fingers is also outside of the comfort zone of most, but we did it anyway.
Speech on Nonviolence
I had spent a lot of effort on my speech about my deradicalization to nonviolence and I felt it resonated well. I had a dramatic twist of extinguishing the last candle while suddenly relating my story directly to recent events.
Songs
The participants weren't shy to sing, and some had clearly practiced - I sent a Spotify Playlist to the participants a week before the event. The songs are great, and singing together in this way is really profound.
What Could Be Improved
Space Constraints
The group size barely exceeded the capacity of my table setup, causing some friction during candle-lighting activities. Next year I'll get another table and more chairs. I should also clear out the table completely to remove distractions.
Music and Instruments
The last-minute cancellation of our guitarist, combined with technical issues with Bluetooth speakers, meant we relied on laptop audio. I’ll ensure better backup options for music next time.
Candle Logistics
The candles burned far longer than necessary, leaving them mostly unused by the end. I’ll look into shorter candles or more precise symbolism for extinguished candles.
Ending the Ceremony
Transitioning back to casual conversation after the ceremony remains awkward for about 20 seconds. I’ll work on finding a smoother way to conclude.
Goodie Bags for Candles
Few participants took their candles and holders home. A goodie-bag system with nametags might help people feel more inclined to bring them back.
Dress-code
A dress-code has been suggested, (slightly formal, black, with some silver) and I might suggest this in the invitation next year, though I will not require it.
Recording
I didn't record anything, and I don't know what I would use a recording for. Still, I have an intuition that a video would be of some interest. I will ask people how they feel about being recorded, and maybe restrict recording to the front half of the table.
Comments on Songs
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
This classic worked well, with everyone joining in. However, we need to appoint someone to speak Eric Idle’s lines for a smoother performance.
"X Days of X-Risk"
This was a crowd favorite, with loud laughter at two specific points. We'll only go up to 128 nanites next year.
"The Litany of Tarrrrrski"
Well-received and highly thematic, but the pace was too fast for most participants. Next year, I’ll slow it down to 90% speed for better clarity.
"To Be Better"
This song is deeply meaningful to me, and I placed it centrally in the ceremony and tied my speech to it.
"View from the IIS at Night"
The instrumental video was cool and evocative, but it felt slightly too long. I might replace it with a shorter or more dynamic instrumental next year.
"Brighter Than Today"
As always, this song was a smash hit. I might edit out the applause at the end for next year, as it felt jarring during the ceremony.
"Hymn to the Breaking Strain"
This was thematically perfect and very well-received. I’ll adjust the timing for when I display the lyrics to ensure people sing the "Not on the Steel" part at the right tempo.
"Here Comes the Sun"
A fitting conclusion, with the instrumental section providing a good moment to turn on artificial lights. However, it’s not the strongest song to end on. I might explore alternatives.
Reflections
This year’s Solstice was a beautiful event filled with connection, symbolism, and shared meaning. The growth in attendance and the enthusiasm for rituals and songs were encouraging. With adjustments to the setup, music, and pacing, I’m confident next year’s celebration will be even better.
It is possible that shortening timelines is contributing to the success: Quite a few people now assign a non-zero probability to this being the last Winter Solstice.
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