New year, winter cheer

When the winter solstice* arrives on December 21 (5:23 p.m.) with winter in tow, there will be plenty of opportunities to cheer up your team with recognition activities. As the longest day of the year passes, each day that follows brings more light than the one before—a great time to consider these ideas when you return from the Yale recess:

1. Host a hot chocolate bar in a breakroom. Offer a wide assortment of toppings and stir-ins.
2. Send a Yale holiday greeting card with a note of gratitude. Look for a  Happy New Year greeting card, out soon.
3. Set up a winter, or even better, a spring-themed photo booth in a prominent area and don’t forget the props.
4. Volunteer with your team to serve lunch at a local soup kitchen.
5. Treat your team to a tour of the Marsh Botanical Garden.

Send us pictures of the activities you choose from this list.

*The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it always occurs around December 21 or 22.  In 2018, the winter solstice arrives on Friday, December 21, at 5:23 p.m. EST.

Coincidentally, December’s full Moon—the Full Cold Moon—will also appear on the night of December 21 though it will not be at its absolute peak until the next day. Keep your eyes peeled for a (near) Winter Solstice Full Moon because, believe it or not, the next full Moon to actually peak on the winter solstice won’t be until 2094!