Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.  So starting tomorrow the days will be slightly longer, and in about 3 weeks you should be able to notice the difference, I know I can.  In fact it's surprising how quickly you'll notice.

And of course we all know what that brings.  As the days lengthen before we know it we'll be enjoying spring!  Yeah!

What always astonishes me is how long ago the ancients figured this out, with surprising accuracy.  When we visited Orkney we went into the famous Maeshowe chambered tomb.  You have to stoop to get through the 30 foot long entrance passageway only 3 feet high, before you arrive at the central chamber, which is about 15 feet square and 12+ feet high.  The size and quality of the stonework is such that this has been described as the most important Neolithic buildings in northwest Europe.

The relevant fact is that the entrance passage is aligned directly with the setting sun on the winter solstice.  How did they ever figure that out?  The return of the sun each year must have been an important fact of life!  In fact one author has suggested it is not a tomb at all, but was used as an astronomical observatory. 

Maeshowe predates both Stonehenge and the pyramids, built approximately 5000 years ago.  So we've been celebrating the winter solstice at least that long!

In any case, the winter solstice has provided an approximate date for numerous religious celebrations ranging from Christianity to the originally pagan festival of Yule.  People the world-wide celebrate the day when the days begin to get longer.