On the Winter Solstice
My father used to tell us that there were two pivotal "events" in world history: the industrial revolution and the winter solstice. There are suggestions that Chanukkah is a winter solstice holiday (the increase in lights is a good hint). Here are a few of the more interesting general links to solstice related sites.
- Rock Shelter Notes
- The winter solstice is one of those days that has been important since history trails back into folklore and myth. Technically it is the day of the year when daytime is shortest. Although you might say that it might be a product of neo-modern insanity, it does have a tradition, and awareness of that tradition helps.
Winter Festivals/Festivals of Light (prepared by Loren Madsen)
A Solstice Web Camera
THE WINTER-SOLSTICE-SUNSET-IN-A-5,000-YEAR-OLD-CAIRN
Ancient Europeans often constructed megaliths and cairns so that they'd align with astronomical events. For scientific reasons, a camera is recording the winter solstice sun at one such cairn in Orkney, Scotland, and of course somebody came up with the brilliant idea of turning this into a Web cam. Broadcasts are scheduled for December 10 to 22, everyday between 14:30 and 15:15 GMT (1997).
When is it?
© MemHeh Productions Last updated: 24 January, 2001.
