Date:  December 1, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |  

On the longest night of the year, event planner Jessie Gillham and her mother host a warm, welcoming affair to toast the winter solstice

Hosting is a tradition for Jessie Gillham and her mother, Cindy Edwards. “My love of entertaining came from her, and her love came from her mother,” Jessie says. This shared passion is an extension of all their holiday celebrations, but there’s one they have become especially fond of planning and enjoying with friends and family. “The winter solstice party is a Christmas party, but it’s not all about Santa,” Cindy explains. As the seasons round the corner, the party honors the longest night on the calendar and the return of light the following day, while also allowing time to give gratitude for the past year—a chance for guests to find calm, joy, and connection within the hustle and bustle of the season. “I went to a similar party years ago at our former neighbors’ house,” Cindy says. “When my husband, Bill, and I moved here, we wanted to do something different to host an open house. I remembered that party and wanted to put my own spin on it and for it to be our new tradition,” she says.

As the owner of Little Rock’s Festive Haus, an event design and party planning business, Jessie uses her passion for entertaining every day, so it was only natural for Cindy to consult her daughter on the evening’s décor, menu, and overall feel. “Sometimes clients have all the pieces and just need me to come in and show them how it can all fit together, whether that’s a table setting or figuring out a menu for a dinner party, and then other times I plan the entire gathering from start to finish,” Jessie says.

One of the most important aspects—and frequent starting points for Jessie and her clients—is deciding how they want guests to feel. “For this night, we wanted it to be warm, inviting, and peaceful, but also fun,” she says. Taking place just days before Christmas, the party starts at sunset on the solstice, meaning an early arrival—and often early night—for the casual, drop-in soirée. The timing also makes it an ideal setting for candlelit dining and gathering spaces illuminated by tapers. With the winter solstice being rooted in nature, it’s fitting that the décor and meal follow suit. “The menu is designed to warm your soul; it’s comforting and hearty,” Jessie says. The offerings include stew, fondue, potatoes topped with caviar and crème fraîche, and a yule log dessert that pays tribute to the Scandinavian tradition of burning an actual yule log, which symbolizes the return of the sun. The table and bar are lined with greenery adorned with seemingly foraged items such as pinecones, feathers, antlers, and dried citrus, a scheme that’s also reflective of Cindy’s passion for down-to-earth Christmas décor.

“There are only so many ways to do a traditional Christmas party, and going non-traditional opens up numerous possibilities,” Jessie says, listing other ideas that range from a Merry Mahjong girls night or Mistletoe and Margaritas couples party to a Fireside Fizz with champagne toasts. “I always think that in the chaos of Christmas and the holiday season, when you walk in here, it’s candlelit, calm, and almost peaceful—something totally different from a normal Christmas party. It’s a beautiful way to wrap up the year,” Jessie says.

Letting Go
One of the most beloved traditions of the winter solstice gathering is the fire release. Guests are invited to write something they want to let go of from the past year along with a wish or hope for the coming year, place the paper on a pinecone, and toss it into the fire. “It’s very personal and has become one of things people look forward to doing,” Cindy says.

Visit the At Home in Arkansas blog (athomearkansas.com/blog) for Jessie’s party planning tips.

Recipe: Yule Mule

SHOP

1½ ounces vodka
1 ounce white cranberry juice
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
ice
ginger beer
rosemary, fresh cranberries, dried limes and oranges (for garnish)

PREPARE

Fill two old-fashioned glasses with ice. Combine all ingredients except ginger beer in a cocktail shaker, shake well, and strain into glasses. Top with ginger beer, and garnish with fresh rosemary, fresh cranberries, and dried lime and orange wheels.