Welcome Winter Solstice

Submitted by ub on

Winter Solstice has finally arrived. Nothing but increasingly longer days. The Yule time is upon us.

This happens to be the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and the longest day in the southern. This occurs annually between Dec. 20-23 when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees.

J. HOPKINS: Winter Solstice - Rebirth of Purpose (+playlist): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa6sMcOgrBM&feature=share&list=PLzvSAbWo…

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.”

― Susan Cooper