TODAY IS THE WINTER SOLSTICE, DECEMBER 21 ST. IT IS A TIME WHEN ABORIGINAL PEOPLE OBSERVED CELEBRATIONS AS THEY KNEW THIS DAY HAD THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT. I CELEBRATED BY GOING TO LUNCH AT A VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT. THE REASON FOR OUR DIFFERENT SEASONS IS THAT AS THE EARTH ROTATES AROUND THE SUN, AND IT ALSO SPINS ON IT'S AXIS SO THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT TIMES OF SUNSET AND SUNRISE IN DIFFERENT SEASONS. OUR NORTHERN HAMPSHIRE GETS LESS SUNLIGHT AND THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE GETS MORE SUNLIGHT. THE SOLSTICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY ANCIENT MYTHS.
IN ROME THE SOLSTICE WAS CELEBRATED AS A FEAST OF SATURNELLA. THE BRITISH CELEBRATED IT WITH A PAGAN YULE LOG IN A FIERY DISPLAY TO MELT THE HEART ON A COLD DAY. MOST CULTURES HOLD ONTO THIS DAY AS A RECOGNITION OF REBIRTH INVOLVING HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS AND RITUALS. THIS SYSTEM IS BASED ON SUN'S HEIGHT ABOVE THE HORIZON. SOME MIDWINTER FESTIVALS ARE CELEBRATED BY EAST ASIAN CULTURES AND EUROPEAN CULTURES. THE PERSIAN CULTURE ALSO RECOGNIZES IT AS THE BEGINNING OF WINTER. THE SOLSTICE ITSELF MAY HAVE BEEN A SPECIAL MOMENT OF THE ANNUAL CYCLE OF THE YEAR DURING NEOLITHIC TIMES. ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS CONTROLLED THE MATING OF ANIMALS, SOWING OF CROPS, COLLECTION OF WILD PLANTS, AND THE USE OF WINTER RESERVES. MANY CULTURES HONOR LIFE - DEATH -REBIRTH DEITIES OR NEW BEGINNINGS. IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY THE GODS AND GODDESSES MET ON WINTER AND SUMMER SOLSTICE.
WIKIPEDIA.COM
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