Winter Solstice

Many seasonal days of celebration are celebrated around the world during the month of December. Most are religious holy days, and are linked in some way to the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. On that day, due to the earth’s tilt on its axis, the daytime hours are at a minimum in the northern hemisphere, and night time is at a maximum.(In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December, when the night time is at a minimum and the daytime is at a maximum.)

“Solstice” is derived from two Latin words: “sol” meaning sun, and “sistere,” to cause to stand still. The lowest elevation [of the sun’s path in the skies of the northern hemisphere] occurs about December 21 and is the winter solstice – the first day of winter, when the night time hours are maximum.

In pre-historic times, winter was a very difficult time for indigenous people in the northern latitudes. The growing season had ended and the tribe had to live off of stored food and whatever animals they could catch. The people would be troubled as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that it would eventually disappear and leave them in permanent darkness and extreme cold. After the winter solstice, they would have reason to celebrate as they saw the sun rising and strengthening once more. Although many months of cold weather remained before spring, they took heart that the return of the warm season was inevitable. The concept of birth and or death/rebirth became associated with the winter solstice. Indigenous peoples had no elaborate instruments to detect the solstice. But they were able to notice a slight elevation of the sun’s path within a few days after the solstice – perhaps by December 25. Celebrations were often timed for about the 25th.

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Image: “Hares Asleep in Winter” by Hannah Giffard.