Winter Solstice 2018

  Amid the whirl of the holiday season, many are vaguely aware of the approach of the winter solstice, but how much do you really know about it?  Whether you're a fan of winter, or just wish it would go away, here are ten things to know - or even celebrate - about the solstice.
   1.  It happens on December 21 this year.
The date of the winter solstice varies from year to year, and can fall anywhere between December 20th and 23rd, with the 21st or 22nd being the most common dates.  The reason for this is because the tropical year - the time it takes for the sun to return to the same spot relative to the Earth - is different from the calendar year.  The next solstice occurring on December 20 will be in 2080, and the next December 23 solstice will happen in 2303.
   2.  The winter solstice happens at a specific, brief moment.
Not only does the solstice occur on a specific day, but it also occurs at a specific time of day, which corresponds to the instant the North Pole is aimed furthest away from the sun on the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth's axis.  This is also the time when the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn.  This year, the moment occurs at 3:23 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, or at 1:23 p.m. EST.  And regardless of where you live, the solstice happens at the same moment for everyone on the planet.
   3.  It marks the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
As most folks are keenly aware, daylight hours grow shorter and shorter as the winter solstice approaches, and begin to slowly lengthen afterward.  It's no wonder that the solstice is referred to in some cultures as "the shortest day" or "the extreme of winter."  New York City will have 9 hours and 15 minutes of sunlight (if it isn't cloudy and storming), compared to 15 hours and 5 minutes on the summer solstice.  Helsinki, Finland will get 5 hours and 49 minutes of light.  Barrow, Alaska will not have a sunrise at all - it hasn't had a sunrise since mid-November, and the next one will occur on January 22; while the North Pole has not had a sunrise since October.  Meanwhile, the South Pole is basking in the glow of the midnight sun, which will not set until March.
   4.  Ancient cultures viewed the winter solstice as a time of death and rebirth.
The seeming death of the light and sun, and the very real threat of starvation over the winter months would have weighed heavily over early societies; therefore, they held varied solstice celebrations and rites meant to herald the return of the Sun and the hope for new life.  Scandinavian and Germanic pagans lit fires and may have burned Yule logs as a symbolic means of welcoming back the sun light.  Cattle and other animals were slaughtered around mid-winter, followed by feasting on what was the last of the fresh meat for a period of several months.  The modern Druidic celebration of Alban Arthan reveres the death of the Old Sun and the birth of the New Sun.
   5.  The winter solstice marks the discovery of new and strange worlds.
The Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock on 21 December 1620 to found a new society that would allow them to worship freely.  On the same day in 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium, ushering in the atomic age.  And on 21 December 1968, the Apollo 8 launched, becoming the first manned mission to the moon.
   6.  The word solstice translates roughly to "sun stands still."
Solstice derives from the Latin scientific term solstitium, containing sol, which means "sun," and the past participle stem of sistere, meaning "to make stand."  This comes from the fact that the sun's position in the sky relative to the horizon at noon, and which increases and decreases throughout the year, appears to pause in the days surrounding the solstice.  In modern times, we view the phenomenon of the solstice from the position of space, and of the Earth relative to the sun.  Earlier people, however, were thinking of the sun's trajectory, how long it stayed in the sky, and what sort of light it cast.
   7.  Stonehenge is aligned to the sunset on winter solstice.
The primary axis of Stonehenge is oriented to the setting sun, while Newgrange, another megalithic structure built around the same time, lines up with the winter solstice sunrise.  Some people have theorized that the position of the sun was of religious significance to the folks who built Stonehenge, while other theories hold that the monument was constructed along natural features that happen to align with it.  The purpose of Stonehenge is still subject to debate, but its importance on the winter solstice continues into modern times, as thousands of pagans and other types of enthusiasts gather there every year to celebrate the occasion.
   8.  Ancient Romans celebrated reversals at the midwinter festival of Saturnalia.
The holiday, which began as a festival to honor the agricultural god Saturn, was held to commemorate the dedication of his temple in 497 BCE.  It quickly became a time of widespread revelry and debauchery in which societal roles were overturned, with masters serving their slaves and servants being allowed to insult their masters.  Mask wearing and play acting were also a part of Saturnalia's reversals, with each household electing a King of Misrule.  Saturnalia was gradually replaced by Christmas throughout the Roman Empire, but many of its customs survive as Christmas traditions.
   9.  Some areas believe that dark spirits walk the Earth on the winter solstice.
The Iranian festival of Yalda is celebrated on the longest night of the year.  In pre-Islamic times, it heralded the birth of Mithra, the ancient sun god, and his triumph over darkness.  Zoroastrian lore holds that evil spirits wander the earth and that the forces of the destructive spirit Ahriman are strongest on this long night.  People are encouraged to stay up for most of the night in the company of one another, eating, talking, and sharing poetry and stories, in order to avoid any encounters with dark spirits or entities.  Beliefs about the presence of evil on the longest night of the year are also echoed in Celtic and Germanic folklore.
   10.  Some people thought the world would end at the winter solstice in 2012.
December 21, 2012 corresponds to the date 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar used by the ancient Mayans, marking the end of a 5,126 year cycle.  Some feared this juncture would bring about the end of the world or some other cataclysmic event. Others took a more New Age view and believed it heralded the birth of a new era of deep transformation for Earth and her inhabitants.  In the end, neither of these things appeared to happen, leaving the world to turn through winter solstices indefinitely, or at least as long as the sun continues to emit light.

Please celebrate the winter solstice in your own, unique, way!

Winter Solstice

We achieved a high temperature of 25 degrees yesterday - quite a difference from the 67 degrees on Wednesday...  Woke to a heavy frost and a temperature of 15 this morning.  The kits ran outside, then ran right back inside - decided that their litter boxes were better than frozen ground, I suppose.  Have another bunch of mixed nuts out for the squirrels this morning - and they are ravenously partaking of the feast.  Lovey is curled up in my recliner, and Nedi has made a nest at the foot of my bed, and I'm here, at my desk.
  This afternoon, I'll be joining my sister and Grandma Anne at the Rocky Mountain Revels in the Boulder Theater.  This year the program is "Christmas Spirits and the Ghosts of Bartow-Pell House," set in 1926 in a mysterious mansion to celebrate the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and Yule.  We always have a blast at the Revels - the audience participates in several songs, and there are also dances in the aisles, where one can choose to (or not to) join in.  Each year, there is a different theme and no two shows are exactly alike.  It's a great way to celebrate the holidays.
  Hopefully, brother-in-law Jim will be with us this afternoon - he's planned to be there, but he might be heading for South Dakota to stay for a short while with his younger brother, Kent.  All of the family plans are up in the air right now - Jim might drive or fly up, so we might, or might not, have a car over Christmas.  I'll be house-sitting for Charlie and Tinkerbelle, four houses west of Kathy and Jim's, but without a vehicle.  On Friday, the 29th, I'll have access to transportation when I move over to Rosie's (directly behind Charlie and Tinkerbelle's).  Bea is supposed to eat Christmas dinner with us, but might have to come and go by either bus or taxi....  and I'll be coming home each day by bus to spend a couple hours with my kits...  It's a weird feeling, not knowing any logistics.  -   Right now, I don't know whether I'll need to bus or walk to the theater for the Revels this afternoon, or if I'll be picked up...
   The Winter Solstice itself (the Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere) will happen at 12:11 p.m. EDT today.  At that point in time, the sun will be shining directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, and the North Pole will be pointed about 23 degrees away from the sun.  My Scandinavian ancestors celebrated the Winter Solstice, and called it "jul" time - and, yes, that's now Yule time.  A lot of cultures and religions celebrated the winter and summer solstice, and while many Biblical scholars believe that the birth of Jesus happened during the late spring or early summer, it is believed that the Christian church adopted the pagan winter celebrations of Yule, the Winter Solstice, and Saturnalia as the birthday celebration of the Christ child - hence, Christmas.....
   Got Jul!  (Good Yule!)

The Shortest Day of the Year

In the northern hemisphere, the December solstice occurs during the coldest season of the year. Although winter was regarded as the season of dormancy, darkness and cold, the coming of lighter days after the winter solstice brought on a more festive mood. To many people, this return of the light was a reason to celebrate that nature’s cycle was continuing. In modern times Christian all over the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas, which falls on December 25. However, it is believed that this date was chosen to offset pagan celebrations of Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti. Some believe that celebrating the birth of the “true light of the world” was set in synchronization with the December solstice because from that point onwards, the days began to have more daylight in the northern hemisphere.
Christmas is also referred to as Yule, which may have derived from the Norse word jól, referring to the pre-Christian winter solstice festival. Yule is also known as Alban Arthan and was one of the “Lesser Sabbats” of the Wiccan year in a time when ancient believers celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God and days with more light. This took place annually around the time of the December solstice and lasted for 12 days. The Lesser Sabbats fall on the solstices and equinoxes. The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule or Juul log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor. A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm and/or as medicine. French peasants believed that if the ashes were kept under the bed, they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the feast of Juul.
In Ancient Rome the winter solstice festival Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturn, the father of the gods and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten while businesses, courts and schools were closed. Wars were interrupted or postponed and slaves were served by their masters. Masquerades often occurred during this time. It was traditional to offer gifts of imitation fruit (a symbol of fertility), dolls (symbolic of the custom of human sacrifice), and candles (reminiscent of the bonfires traditionally associated with pagan solstice celebrations). A mock king was chosen, usually from a group of slaves or criminals, and although he was permitted to behave in an unrestrained manner for seven days of the festival, he was usually killed at the end. The Saturnalia eventually degenerated into a week-long spree of debauchery and crime – giving rise to the modern use of the term saturnalia, meaning a period of unrestrained license and revelry.
In Poland the ancient December solstice observance prior to Christianity involved people showing forgiveness and sharing food. It was a tradition that can still be seen in what is known as Gody. In the northwestern corner of Pakistan, a festival called Chaomos, takes place among the Kalasha or Kalash Kafir people. It lasts for at least seven days, including the day of the December solstice. It involves ritual baths as part of a purification process, as well as singing and chanting, a torchlight procession, dancing, bonfires and festive eating.
Many Christians celebrate St Thomas’ Day in honor of St Thomas the Apostle on December 21. In Guatemala on this day, Mayan Indians honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the polo voladore, or “flying pole dance”. Three men climb on top of a 50-foot pole. As one of them beats a drum and plays a flute, the other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believed that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer. Some churches celebrate St Thomas’ Day on other days in the year.
The ancient Incas celebrated a special festival to honor the sun god at the time of the December solstice. In the 16th century ceremonies were banned by the Roman Catholics in their bid to convert the Inca people to Christianity. A local group of Quecia Indians in Cusco, Peru, revived the festival in the 1950s. It is now a major festival that begins in Cuzco and proceeds to an ancient amphitheater a few miles away.

Celtic Revels

It's in the low 20s again this morning - but we're projected to reach a high of 54. The sky is cloudless to the east and overhead, but just behind the mountain peaks you can see a mountain-wave cloud building. Since we've had a week of high temperatures in the 40s and 50s, sunny areas have no snow cover; shady areas have about an inch still on the ground; there are still piles of unmelted snow in parking lots; and streets and roads without high traffic still have up to 5 inches of ice caked on them - it makes walking an interesting exercise. There is one rocky peak a couple of blocks north and then due west of my apartment that has a really odd look to it today - with all of the sunshine, it looks as if some giant has taken a ruler and divided it with a straight line; the northern side of the peak is covered with snow, while the southern side is brown rock. It's a striking contrast. .... We attended the Christmas Revels presented by Celtic Roads last night. It was a two-and-a-half hour celebration of song and dance, with four areas of audience participation - and I had a superb time! The groups that brought us the show included the Wee Birds Children's Choir, the Rocky Mountain Revels Celtic Chorus, six marvelous Irish Step Dancers (both in soft shoes and tap clogs), the Flagstaff Brass Quintet, and the Irish Fiddle Band that was made up of pipes, tin whistle, concertina, bodhran, spoons, and (of course) fiddlers. Songs, poetry and music ranged from the Twenty-third Psalm (sung in Gaelic) to a 9th century poem to the working songs of the Scots, Irish, and Welsh women in the 15th century, to children's chants and games, and renditions of Amazing Grace, Auld Lang Syne, and a traditional Irish mummer's play. One of the young ladies in the Wee Birds Choir told me that if I enjoyed this show, I would really love the Summer Solstice show... I'm already looking forward to it! If you'd like to get a glimpse of the Revels, you can visit www.RockyMountainRevels.org (and have a ball!). One young man stood out from the other performers, and I have a feeling that I had that same air of serious concentration when I appeared in school plays... He was a young man, I'd guess in his early-to-mid-teens; when he appeared in a group setting, singing and interacting with others, he was quite natural. But he had two dances in which he participated - and he was concentrating sooo hard, it just drew your attention. He danced in a Welsh country dance, paired with a young lady, and with three other couples - he made two missteps, but always caught himself and proceeded with aplomb. Then he was a participant in the Irish Mummer's play, where he was one of six young men doing a complicated dance with swords - he didn't make a mistake there, but he was concentrating so hard that I felt for him... It was a wonderful night of entertainment!