So this weekend was Winter Solstice, to be precise, on December 21 (at 17:11).
I've already mentioned this astronomical event in my blog.
But some additional information can never be excessive:
But some additional information can never be excessive:
According to Wikipedia, the word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's path (as seen from Earth) comes to a stop before reversing direction.
So in other words, this is the the shortest day of the year (the
Northern hemisphere) and at the same time the longest night of the year. But from now on the day becomes longer, every day we can enjoy few
more minutes of sunshine, people celebrate the return of the light. This process will continue till the summer solstice in June.
I've also mentioned that a lot of Winter Holidays (all of which has pagan origin, or at least the greater part of them) are connected with Winter Solstice:
But this year I've found a very curious article about solstice in Chinese Culture.
And if speaking about me personally, I always feel magical at this time of the year. So there is some nice music to enjoy:
If you want to have some fun, listen to the albums of The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society called "A Very Scary Solstice" and "An even Scarier Solstice".
Oh and don't forget that the symbol of the Winter Solstice and Winter Holidays is evergreen tree. People in old times believed that evergreen trees and plants had magical powers that scare away evil spirits, diseases and help withstand long cold winter.
I celebrated the Winter Solstice by making these decorations from fir branches, rowan berries and rosehips:
This is the magical time of the year, enjoy it and gather strength from the positive vibes of the holidays, you will need it for the long winter ahead!
