9/6/2023 0 Comments Winter equinox 2020![]() ![]() Dumplings are usually eaten to celebrate in some East Asian cultures. Dongzhi marks the return yang – and the slow ascendance of light and warmth. Yin represents darkness and cold and stillness, thus the longest day of winter. They thought this was the apex of yin (from Chinese medicine theory). The name translates roughly as “extreme of winter.” The Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival has its roots in ancient Chinese culture. It’s not just ancient Europeans who marked the annual occasion. It honored Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture.Īs the Roman Empire came under Christian influence and eventual rule, some of the festival’s customs were melded into celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year. In Ancient Rome, Saturnalia lasted for seven days. Newgrange, a prehistoric monument built in Ireland around 3200 BC, is associated with the Alban Arthan festival. Part of Druidic traditions, the winter solstice is considered a time of death and rebirth. It might be the oldest seasonal festival of humankind. In the Welsh language, “Alban Arthan” means for “Light of Winter,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac. There, the December solstice marks the longest day of the year – and the beginning of summer – in places such as Argentina, Madagascar, New Zealand and South Africa. The situation is the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere, where only about 10% of the world’s population lives. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun appears at its most southerly position, directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. The science and timing behind a winter solstice Then we’ll explore some ancient traditions and celebrations around the world. How this all works has fascinated people for thousands of years.įirst we’ll look at the science and precise timing behind the solstice. Winter solstice 2022, the shortest day of year and the official first day of winter, is on Wednesday, December 21 (well, for a decent chunk of the world anyway). For the past six months, the days have grown shorter and the nights have grown longer in the Northern Hemisphere. ![]()
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