The word solstice comes from Latin sol “sun” and sistere “to stand still.” In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day.
At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still. The Sun is directly overhead at “high-noon” on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn.
My mood always improves at winter solstice. It means that the days will start getting longer, regardless of how imperceptibly. For those with Pagan roots, the Holly King is strongest and has vanquished the Oak King, until they have to do it all over again at Summer Solstice.
Forget the myths and legends. I just want the days to get longer. I anxiously await the beginning of Daylight Saving time on March 11, 2018. Perhaps I have S.A.D.
Every year we go to the “Revels”, which is a celebration of the Yule season and the Winter Sostoce. The show, he’d at the Lisner Auditoriumof GeorgevWashington University, is held in ten cities around the nation and has a cast and crew of more tha a 100, most all are volunteers. Near the end of the show, the cast and audience joinin shouting out! “ WELCOME YULE” to celebrate the arrival of the Winter Solstice and the shorter day.
Here is the poem read every year st the Revels. It encapsulates the whole theme of the season.
http://greensideup.ie/tag/poem-by-susan-cooper/
Merry Christmas to all howlers. If you celebrate, I hope you have joy and peace. If you do not, I wish you the same.
Why thank you! I hope you have having a fine Christmas wine.
Best title for an article I’ve seen in a while… ‘GOP Candidate Destroys Democrat in Tie Breaker’
http://freebeacon.com/politics/republicans-control-virginia-house-gop-candidate-destroys-democrat-tie-breaker/
I certainly wouldn’t get silly and giddy over something that had a 50-50 chance of going either way.
Pure luck controlled that one.
Destroyed? I seriously doubt it. Furthermore, it is being challenged in court.
MoonHowler,
The ‘destroyed’ part is what had me cracking up. It’s hard to ‘destroy’ someone in a coin flip. I had heard on the radio the other day that once the name was pulled there was no way to challenge it in court. Which makes more sense now seeing that Ms. Simonds conceded yesterday.
I don’t think the ballot in question should have been brought back. We can’t second guess what voters mean if they don’t follow directions.
The lesson from this? Every vote counts.