Winter Solstice

Tomorrow - December 21 - marks the day when the sun’s transit across the sky reaches its most southerly point - known as Midwinter Day.  Christianity co-opted the ancient pagan midwinter festivals with Christmas falling only a few days after the astronomical midwinter. 

For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere this is the first day of winter and is characterized by the longest night of the year.  Which also signals that more light will follow in the days and weeks to come.   

Because the sun is at its lowest in the sky – this is the one day you will want to go out and see your shadow.  Your noontime shadow on the solstice is the longest it will be all year.  

The word solstice comes from the Latin - solstitium - which translates to:  point at which the sun stands still.  

It was the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus who advanced the notion that the earth revolved around the sun.  Copernicus really rocked the religious and scientific worlds with this fact.  Until then it was accepted as fact that all of the celestial bodies revolved around the earth.  He was branded a heretic, purveyor of fake news and the believers of the time wanted to lock-him-up. 

I'm tickled to live during a time when science holds sway.  Most of the time anyway.  

Raising a toast to longer daylight and a true Renaissance Man. 

Cheers!