Monday, December 21, 2015

Solstice - Celebrating the Return of the Light

The winter solstice occurs in North America tonight. For many years I've celebrated with friends, usually with a bonfire, hot chocolate, and a potluck feast of Christmas cookies, sometimes with a snowshoe hike in the woods, all depending on the weather. Those friends are in Minnesota so it will be different this year.

Solstice means "when the sun stands still." The days begin to lengthen so slowly that it does seem as if the sun was standing still for awhile. From experience I know that we won't notice for a bit and then in a few weeks someone will say, "I think the days are getting longer!" I will be glad for it. I'm not much good after dark. My inner clock and my eyes tell me that day is done and nothing is else is going to be accomplished now.

 

In the summer we have the most dramatic sunsets here right over the water from our chairs on the porch or deck. But as the sun has moved steadily south in its autumnal path, the sunsets have disappeared behind a pine woods to the north. In exchange we get delicate sunrises that we never see in summer.

 

Yesterday morning the sky was the softest pink over a bank of gray fog that lingered over the water. The color, and the whole sky scene, was repeated by the motionless water.

This morning unusual cloud layers were reflected in equally tranquil water but all was gray and wintery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Beloved is golfIng this morning with his son and son-in-law while I'm baking. Tonight on the longest night of the year we will make the rounds of neighbors on our little road and distribute some Christmas calories and good cheer and brighten up the longest night. A new tradition.

"From out of the darkness . , .

light and hope return."

 

17 comments:

  1. What a nice way to celebrate the solstice. Peace.

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  2. Longest day / Shortest day - I am sure there are no celebrations
    for these days in Australia.I knew of the existence of these days on the calendar
    but had no ideas that people seemingly all from North of the Equator make such
    a fuss over them. Still if that is the custom, have heaps of fun.
    Great to know that "T.O.H." and his juniors are out belting the living daylights
    out of a little white ball. Great exercise and obviously as I would expect no freezing
    weather around Beaufort.
    Have a great Christmas. I thought you were off to Anna/Don and tribe???
    Cheers
    Colin

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    Replies
    1. Oh I forgot - I have experienced the summer solstice in your
      old stamping ground - Minnesota. In Rochester, we had a BBQ with
      the neighbours and some of the "medico" colleagues at the Mayo Clinic.
      No way would I have been in dear ole Rochester in bloody winter - ha ha!
      Colin

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    2. I think we celebrate the solstices more in in the northern states than people do down here. The lack of sunlight is very dramatic at that latitude. Or is it longitude? Anyway, we're close to the North Pole and our days get really short! I think it is also a tradition in Norway and we have a lot of Norwegian/Swedish heritage in Minnesota. One of our neighbors didn't even know it was the solstice last night.

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    3. Latitudes are around the World - up and down from the Equator.
      Brisbane is 27.4667 south
      Beaufort, SC is 32.4333 north.
      Makes sense with the Scandinavian countries which have such long summer days of
      light and such short winter days of light - I'd be celebrating also - ha ha.
      Colin

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  3. Cynthai there is no celebration here. But I live coming back of light

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  4. Cynthai there is no celebration here. But I live coming back of light

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  5. What more could you want: lengthening days, colorful skies and Christmas cheer!

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  6. There are celebrations here although it is not a tradition in my family. I am always pleased to see the shortest day pass as I long for more daylight hours not being a creature of the dark. Enjoy your solstice festivities and also Christmas although I sense it will be tinged with sadness being far from your family.

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  7. We don't officially celebrate here in Scotland but by this time of year, the days are very short so we speak about it a lot, eg "It's cold but at least the days are getting longer". Happy Solstice!

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  8. Good that you are starting a new tradition! Have a fun time! :)

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  9. Seems you celebrate the shortest day in your part of the world. I hope you had fun.
    The shortest/longest days goes past and most of us wouldn't know. I do believe we have just had the longest day, so therefore we get shorter from now on..and hotter usually till it plateaus out.
    Merry Christmas.

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  10. That sounds like a great 'new' tradition - people should do more of that! Me - I was finishing off my Christmas shopping...so, Merry Christmas to you and yours, thanks for the great posts and for popping across to A Bit About Britain as you do!

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  11. That sounds like a great 'new' tradition - people should do more of that! Me - I was finishing off my Christmas shopping...so, Merry Christmas to you and yours, thanks for the great posts and for popping across to A Bit About Britain as you do!

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  12. Yes those pink skies are typical for this time of the year.

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  13. Beautiful photos of the skies! It sounds like a lovely tradition baking cookies and then taking them and distributing them to friends and neighbours. I love the comments you leave on my blog and so want to reply to you but you are a 'no reply blogger' so I can't :-(. Maybe you can click on the email link on my profile and drop me a line??

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  14. This was such a good post. I love more daylight too and agree totally with you about the light! I'm not much good after dark either.

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