Letter: Pagans and other believers in step at Avebury

Sir: I would like to shed some light on your colourful article 'Go home to Mum for Christmas? No way]' (23 December) about pagans celebrating the winter solstice at the Avebury circles.

I'm in a group of morris dancing men, women and children (yes, women do morris dance) who celebrate the turning year with our native dances, songs and customs. Having been denied access to Stonehenge by English Heritage, we repaired to Avebury to dance up the dawn.

But our group contains many spiritual viewpoints, including committed Christians, atheists, agnostics, students of theology and followers of the Goddess. We celebrate the solstice and many of us also 'go home to mum' for Christmas (in my case to share vegetarian food and an organic goose).

We're not necessarily anti-meat/

men / Christmas / mums / church /

roads. Surely 'Pagan' means celebrating the mystery of humanity as part of nature. I am a practising Christian and a Pagan. I'll dance with atheists to celebrate the solstice. The important thing is to meet together, in a spirit of love and fun.

Have a cool Yule,

MARC VYVYAN-JONES

Bristol

The writer is part of Bristol's Rag Morris.