Nope. Nothing to do with the current US issues about wishing a merry christmas.
Not a verty interesting thread, either, I’m affraid.
But I just love solstices. When I was a kid, living in a small village in the country, all the villagers gathered at nightfall on St-John’s day (IOW : the summer solstice). A small tree was planted and put on fire. When it had collapsed but the flammes were still high enough, young people would jump over the fire. I couldn’t say for sure that it was supposed to give : good luck, or fertility, or a bf/gf/husband/wife, but it was fun. And you had to decide when to jump. Too late, you were a pussy. Too early, it looked dangerous. On the other hand, being the first to jump could impress the young ladies (well…that’s what we believed, anyway). Some elderly people, like my grandmother, on the other hand, would bring back home a charcoal and use it to draw a cross on their doorstep, to protect the house againgt… who knows against what? I suspect they didn’t know themselves.
Nowadays, there aren’t anymore St-John’s fires (not in Paris, at least), but there are often fireworks on the first day of summer. And I enjoy them mightily. Always had. Actually my very first memory is watching a firework.
But we’re as long away as possible from the summer solstice. And there’s no celebration for the winter one. Nope, Christmas doesn’t count. I’m not sure how it became an important day for me, but it has been so or a long time. Logically, it’s a time of renewal. Days are going to be longer and longer, and my life is going to be brighter and brighter (or so I hope and feel). I’m embarking this morning for yet another year is the adventure of life. My personnal New Year (Don’t worry, I’m going to fake an interest in January 1st. I don’t want to offend anyone).
Here, the sun just rose on the shortest day of the year. I stayed awake all night. I’m all by myself, but I nevertheless opened a bottle of champagne for my private celebration. The cork left a mark on the ceiling, and I spilled champagne on the desk and floor. But that’s the way it should be done. It’s no fun opening a bottle of champagne if there’s no “BANG” and no froth flowing. You just have to avoid targetting anything fragile. OK. I admit it. I already drank half the bottle before I began to post. I hope the power that be won’t chastize me for this “drunk post”.
To anybody who was bored enough to actually read this : happy solstice to you!!! (including for our Australians, Kiwis, Brazilians and South-African friends).
Not boring at all, and a happy solstice to you, too, clairobscur. My girlfriend and I are celebrating it tonight. All acts of pleasure honor the goddess, so we’re going to light some candles and have a gooey pizza, some wine, and some sex :D. Happy shortest day of the year!
Hooray for the Solstice! This is also a joyous day for me; the days will henceforth begin to grow longer. Tomorrow will dawn and we will confirm that we will not, after all, freeze to death in the dark. We will know that we have come through the worst of the dark times. Tell you what, lets wait a few days, like until Sunday, and have a great big ol’ party to celebrate!
I’m planning to invite all my living family within driving distance (both of them) and cook a big festive dinner, with home made bread, cake and pie.
Happy dance
happy dance
happy dance
la la la la la.
I was fortunate to see the summer solstice light up the pulpit of the Cathedral de Notre Dame de Strasbourg at midi. I don’t remember if I saw it do the same for the winter solstice or not. I just remember a very short day and icy fog in the city.
I’m not familiar with that location, but most places, the sun will reach spots on the summer solstice that it does not reach at other times of the year.
Happy Winter (and for our Southern Hemisphere Dopers, Summer) Soltice to all who celebrate! I like the idea of knowing that from now on the days will be a little longer for us in the Northern Hemisphere.
I walked through a Kensington Market street festival on the way home from the library. Lanterns, drum bands, happy people of all ages, and no gorram carols.
At least it has cooled down a bit for the summer solstice. Yesterday it was 32. Today it’s only 21. The forecast for Christmas at this stage is a rather warm 30.
You are correct. Je precis: At other times of the year, light coming in through the cathedral windows will fall on the pulpit, but it does so with random patterns. The windows were designed so that at noon on the solstices, light hitting the pulpit passes through a single piece of glass and is notable in its brightness and clarity.
Clairobscur-- nice post. I didn’t grow up with any good traditions except walking home from school in the dark in December and cursing the summer because we’d have to stay up until 2:30 AM to be able to see the fireworks at dusk.
Yay for solstices! I wish that people would celebrate them more; it’s a nice way to connect with the passing of the seasons, and it’s also a great excuse to get lashed.
Mr Fortean is very obsessed with the stages of the sun and the moon and would, if he could, measure not only the proper solstices, but the half-solstices, the quarter-solstices, the earliest/latest sunset, the latest/earliest sunrise, the highest moonrise and the brightest full moon. Quite soon, I think, in the Northern Hemisphere, there will be a time when the full moon and the sun are in the sky together, opposite each other – a tres mystical event. Especially when the sun sets and the mist rises over the field and you turn round, only to be met with a large bright full moon on the other horizon!
As someone mentioned on another thread, it’s been recently argued that Stonehenge was built to measure the winter solstice, not the summer one – the same is true for that place in Ireland whose name I have forgotten. Anyway it makes sense. Who has time to celebrate the summer solstice with all that haymaking to do? Whereas in the winter you’ve got nothing to do but booze and eat.
just finished a chinese feast. evidently in Shanghai, having lamb is THE dish for the winter solstice. Solstice is a big deal in a country like China that still uses the lunar calendar (although less and less as time goes on).
Woo-hoo! Guess what! The sun came up, we’re not all going to die after all!
Chicago Doper checking in. I stayed up all night, as I have for the last three winter solstices. Handy that it comes during this busy season. I got a lot done, said a few prayers, lit a few candles. Nice times.
Unfortunately, this year there’s a little whippersnapper who just woke up (with the sun, as always) and who won’t let me sleep all day! Ah, well. Caffeine will definitely be on the menu today!
