Winter Solstice Day
Winter Solstice Day
Observed annually between the 20th and 23rd of December, the Winter solstice Day commemorates one of the shortest days and the longest day of the year! In the regions across the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice, astrologically marks the arrival of winter but meteorological winter commences on the 1st of December. Thus on this day, the presence of sunlight varies from 9.5 hours to null darkness based on how far from the North the person is.
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#WinterSolsticeDay
Why Winter Solstice Day?
The presence of daylight decided the endurance, occupation, way of life, and culture of the antiquated world. Various societies over the world worshiped and revered The Sun. Therefore the nonappearance of the sun was viewed as a terrible sign, the divine beings being furious and the like.
The arrival of the winter solstice meant many things to different cultures. While some assumed the Sun stands still, others felt the sun was being born again, thus there’s no lack for stories surrounding the Winter Solstice.
Also, the ancient cultures awaited the arrival or the rebirth of the sun while holding feasts and observing celebrations and other ceremonies.
Modern Druids observe Alban Arthan, a celebration signifying the death of the old sun and the birth of the new sun.
The Germanic and Scandinavians lit the Yule log and kept it aflame for 12 long days by pouring wine over it to sustain the fire.
Zorastrian folklore holds that the evil forces wander on the Earth during the solstice and that the destructive force of the spirit of the evil one Ahriman is highly evident.
The Celtic priests gave away the mistletoe from the oak trees as the oaks were revered as sacred and the first fruit of the mistletoe signified life amidst the struggle for survival.
December 21 or 22 solstices occur more often than the solstices of December 20 and 23. The latest December 23 solstice was way back in 1903 and will not be witnessed again until 2303. A December 20 solstice has seldom occurred, with the resulting appearance thought to be with-inside the year 2080.
How Can We Observe Winter Solstice Day?
- Stock up the home with flashlights to embrace the dark day!
- Play real-time hide and seek with nothing but a flashlight
- Light up your aisle with candles to spread the warmth
- Light up the yule log and sing away the night
- Engage the community with the story-telling about the Sandinavains or the Vikings or the Germans or the Polanese
- Build a tent OR stare at the night sky and wait for the arrival of the sun!
- Use #WinterSolsticeDay to share and tag your photos on social media today!
Interesting Facts About Winter Solstice Day:
- In 2012, the December Solstice corresponded with the finish of the “Great Cycle” of the Long Count in the Mayan schedule. Many considered this to be a prescience of the apocalypse.
- The most recent December 23 solstice was way back in 1903 and won’t occur again until 2303. A December 20 solstice has happened once in a while, with the following one expected in the year 2080.
- Christmas is likewise alluded to as Yule, which is gotten from the Norse word jól, alluding to the pre-Christian winter solstice celebration.
- The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival in Scandinavia that marked the hour of the December solstice. Flames were lit to represent the warmth, light, and nurturing properties of the return of the sun.
- In England, Germany, France, and other European nations, the Yule log was scorched until nothing, yet debris remained. The cinders were then gathered and either flung on the fields as compost each night until Twelfth Night or kept as an appeal as well as medication.
- French laborers accepted that if the remains were held under the bed, they would secure the house against a lightning storm.
- In Poland, the old December solstice recognition before Christianity included individuals demonstrating pardoning and sharing food. It was a custom that can in any case be found in what is known as Gody today.
- In Guatemala on the 21st of December, Mayas respected the Sun god they revered long before they became Christians with a perilous custom known as the Palo Volador, or “flying post-move”. Three men jump on the head of a 50-foot shaft. As one of them thumps a drum and plays the flute, the other two men wind a rope connected to the post around one foot and jump. On the off chance that they land on their feet, it is presumed that the sun god will be satisfied and that the days will begin getting longer.
History Of Winter Solstice Day:
The history of Winter Solstice Day is interwoven into numerous traditions. The origin is hard to find and the founder unknown.