Winter Solstice Affect Makes Even a January Sunny Day Appear LikePre-Twilight All Day Long

The Winter Solstice which occurs on Dec. 21st, is the shortest day and simultan-eously the longest night of the year. Ironically, it is the precise day that the earth is closest to the sun, but the angle of the earth on its axis is the most extreme for the northern hemisphere. So being in Winter in the northern hemisphere is being closest to the sun while having the earth's angle to the sun responsible for creating winter temperatures and winter weather patterns. 

We usually least notice this "winter solstice affect" from its beginning on Dec. 21st through at least January 1st because this is also the time when bright holiday lights keep the inside and outsides of our homes in colorful beauty. Holiday shows, concerts and special church services distract us from the shortness of the day. This is the secondary reason why I celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas--to prolong the bright and colorful atmosphere in the midst of the darkness which amplifies it. 

The primary reason being that I celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas is that of the Christian faith tradition which says it took the Magi (Kings or Astrologers) 12 days to travel from their distant lands and arrive in Bethlehem on January 6th. Even though the dates themselves are not important (the date of Jesus' birth was set by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 336 and a few years later officially declared by Pope Julius I), it is the Magi (kings or astrologers) who were the only gentiles (non-Jews) involved for good in the entire Christmas story. Otherwise, this was a Jewish event--the coming of the Jewish Messiah (Savior) to the Jewish people to save and empower the Jews, or so the Jewish historians wrote it.

It was the Magi, however many there were (the Bible does not say but the song, "We Three Kings," does), who in the Christmas Story, established the practice of gift-giving as a part of the celebration of Jesus' birth. Since gentiles arrived at Bethlehem 12 days after the birth, some elements of the Christian Church adopted January 6th as the proper date for gentiles (non-Jews) to celebrate Christmas. The Hispanics still hold to this tradition and celebrate Christmas on "Three Kings Day" January 6th with the giving of gifts on this day. I have been known to keep my colored lights up longer than January 6th simply because of their beauty and the darkness of the winter nights.

Soon the long trek will begin of watching the daylight slowly--very slowly--add a few minutes each day to each day's length. This process will become much more enjoyable as the temperatures and weather patterns moderate and warm, heading toward the rebirth of nature with fresh new colors brought to our woods and gardens. Most enjoyable, though is experiencing it all with friends and those who return from their winter homes to the joys of Silver Lake Institute life. Happy New Year, folks, and I long to see you again, worship with you, dock with you, eat with you and just plain relax and carry out the mission of the Institute together. God Bless you in 2018.