Not talking about the big sale on men's furnishings at Sears, although heaven knows we could all use some new furnishings.
It's the first day of winter! Huzzah! At 5:23 this afternoon, it's winter, with the solstice taking place. That means that today is the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with only 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight until darkness comes.
No sun fan, I, so of course my favorite day is the day with the least of it.
It's interesting to be on Facebook and have friends in Australia and other spots in the Southern Hemisphere. Down under, today is the beginning of summer. And I am sure there are those who live in one hemisphere for six months of the year and move to the other so that they get unending summer, or winter, depending.
The word solstice comes from the Latin words "sol" (sun) and "sistere" (to stand still). Today, the sun’s path reaches its southernmost point. It seems to take a while for the sun to get its momentum going again, so much so that for days, the sun appears to be on a still path. That's why so many cultures have associated this time of year with death and rebirth. For example,the Farmers’ Almanac tells us that in the Druidic tradition, "the Winter Solstice is thought of as a time of death and rebirth when Nature’s powers and our own souls are renewed. The birth of the New Sun is thought to revive the Earth’s aura in mystical ways, giving a new lease on life to spirits and souls of the dead."
Not for nothing, this is the day that Congress might be stalemated on a new budget, forcing the federal government to stand still until someone figures how to get things going again.
Happy solstice, everyone! Embrace the shade!
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