Tag: winter

The Winter Solstice is the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and so follows it’s the reverse in the southern. The solstice is considered auspicious in many cultures, including the Romans’ “Day of the Unconquerable Sun”, the Druids’ “Light of Arthur” and the Hindus’ Diwali and Lohri. This year it falls on December 22, when we’ll have just over 9 hours of daylight. In many places, obviously including Ottawa, solstice marks the distinct shift into winter. While the days are getting longer with increasing sunlight after solstice, we enter a season where we desire hibernation. These cold, dark days remind us of the reverence and gratitude we have for sunlight and our perfect position in relationship to the sun for the abundance it provides. Like all things, there are dual, overlapping aspects to all creation, and so we embrace the necessary darkness and dormancy winter provides for renewal in the spring season. The natural drawing in...