The shortest day of the year in 2023 Over the years, many things have changed in people’s lives, but one thing has stayed the same: the sun is holy.
The warmth and light it gives us have been at the center of our beliefs, celebrations, and daily lives, giving rise to many legends and festivals.
Meteorologically, many people think of colder days and earlier sunsets as signs of winter. The winter solstice, on the other hand, marks the beginning of winter in the sky.
The winter solstice is coming up soon. Here’s what it is, when it will happen this year, and some myths and legends that go along with it.
What is the first day of winter solstice?
The winter solstice, which is also called the hibernal solstice, is when the tilt of one of the Earth’s poles away from the Sun is at its greatest.
This happens twice a year, once in the Northern Hemisphere and once in the Southern Hemisphere. It starts winter in both places.
There are no daylight hours on the winter solstice, so the nights are very long.
For humans, the winter solstice has been an essential part of their cultures since the Stone Age, and people still celebrate it today.
These Latin words mean “sun” and “to stand still,” which is where the name comes from. The day the sun stays still is called the solstice.
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When is the shortest day of the year?
The winter solstice will happen this year on December 22, 2023. By the way of the stars, winter won’t start until then.
So, the end of the astronomical winter season is set for March 20, 2024.
The winter solstice is associated with many myths and stories
For ancient groups in the Northern Hemisphere, winter meant that their crops would die and their people would have to deal with freezing temperatures.
They couldn’t figure out why the sun looked less bright because they didn’t know much about science. So, in order to make sense of it all, they came up with their own myths.
A lot of people thought the sun was a woman, like a goddess or queen. Before Islam, people in southern Arabia called her Atthar, and people in Mesopotamia called her Arunna. The Vikings referred to her as Sol, and the Inuit called her Sun Sister.
The Nordic people thought that the winter solstice was when their goddesses would give birth, which would make Earth lighter. It was called “mother’s night” because of this.
According to a Finnish myth, the goddess of the North Louhi imprisoned the moon and sun in a mountain, causing the chilly, dark days of winter.
In the Scottish Highlands, people called the winter solstice “Grian-stad Geamhraidh,” which means “sun-stop winter.” In their stories, a hag-goddess was said to bring on the winter cold and would only go away when the Scots carved her image into a log and burned it.
What are some things to do to celebrate the winter solstice today?
Because the sun was so important to our communities, the winter solstice became one of the most important dates on our calendars.
That long, dark night that marks the start of the sun’s return to us is still a holiday for us.
In Europe, people gather at Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland, which are both old buildings that have been carefully aligned with the sun’s path. In terms of the winter solstice sunrise and sunset, Newgrange marks the time, while Stonehenge marks the time.
A festival called Yalda celebrates the victory of light over darkness and the birth of the sun god Mithra on this day. On the winter solstice, families get together, stay up all night, and eat a lot.
The Dongzhi festival in China marks the start of winter. Harvest celebrations used to take place when farmers came home from the fields.
People come from far and wide to celebrate the festival. The food includes rice wine, dumplings, ginger rice, roasted meats, and more. Families also take time to worship their ancestors and Heaven.
