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White Plains, NY

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Winter Solstice, the first day of winter is my real New Year. We have hit bottom and now start up hill as each day gets longer.

Get those seeds ready.

12/21/2004 7:32:07 AM

New Hampshire

The tulips will be up before you know it. I'm watching for the first robin.

12/21/2004 7:48:37 AM

Days don't get any shorter than today! Now we just keep getting more daylight till it's spring! Happy b-day to my mom too :-)

12/21/2004 8:26:09 AM

Atlanta, Georgia

I feel the same way Capt!
Happy New Year to you too,
Michel

12/21/2004 10:39:10 AM

[email protected]

Happy Winter Solstice & New Year

12/21/2004 11:01:45 AM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Some info on the Winter Solstice:


Winter Solstice 2004
On December 21 and 22, we will have only 7.5 hours of daylight. Winter officially begins with the Winter Solstice on Tuesday, December 21 at 4:42 am PST. At that moment the sun sits over the Tropic of Capricorn, latitude 23.5 degrees south, in the South Atlantic Ocean between South America and Africa. The sun will be in the constellation of Sagittarius.
December 21 is the Winter Solstice, the day on which the northern pole of the earth is tipped away from the sun. Because of the low angle of the sun's arc, it will produce the longest and most spectacular sunrises and sunsets of the year. On December 18-21, we will have only 7.5 hours of daylight to enjoy. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and at the same time, the region above the arctic circle will be in total darkness for 24 hours! Incidentally, it's named the Tropic of Capricorn because a few thousand years ago the sun resided among the stars of the constellation Capricornus on the solstice date. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol-stitium, for sun-standing. The winter solstice is the time of the year when the sun stops its southern climb and stands briefly before turning back toward the equator.

-con't -

12/21/2004 12:48:33 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

On the winter solstice the Sun from our Earth perspective appears to stand still. Which was of great concern to our ancestors because they believed that all heavenly objects were gods and that if the Sun god was displeased it might just continue to keep rising and setting farther south until it eventually disappeared.
On the day of the winter solstice was met with great anticipation, a bit of anxiety and a lot of celebration because right after the solstice the Sun invariably started rising and setting a little bit farther north each day. Meaning that the world would not be plunged into eternal winter and that spring would once again eventually come.
It's easy to see why our ancestors could be frightened because many believed that if the Sun continued its journey south the world would be plunged into eternal night. In fact winter solstice celebrations were so widespread in our western culture that the early church decided to move Christmas to the time of the solstice.
On December 26, the Full Moon will be at its highest southern point in the sky at 71 & ½ degrees from the southern horizon. In colonial times the Full Moon of December was known as the Long Night Moon or Moon before Yule, although technically speaking, this year it occurs after Yule, the Scandinavian feast of the solstice. Watch the Moon rise around sunset and notice how far north of east it comes up. This is the northernmost moonrise (and moonset) of the year.
Look at the bright side: after December 21, the days will gradually grow longer and the night shorter as Earth completes its yearly journey around the sun.

I thought it was interesting how this ties into the Druids collecting mistletoe post on the non-pumpkin related board

12/21/2004 12:50:09 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Cheers & Happy Winter Solstice!

12/21/2004 12:51:04 PM

Joliet, IL

to start work in the dark and finishing work in the dark
blows like the wind at Soldier Field at last sunday's
Chicago Bears game, when it was 12 degrees at kick off
and minus 20 wind chill. 3 hours tailgating and a 3 hour
game when the Bears scored only 5 points and got beat
by the Houston Texans is a bad as it gets. with increasing
daylight, it can only get brighter from here on out.

12/21/2004 12:53:44 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Holy Moly!
And I'm a capricorn myself and never had a clue!
Thanks for the info!

Worse than the Bears is the Patriots getting whooped by
Miami though...

Best regards all!
Michel

12/21/2004 4:30:53 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Thanks Eric..great read...now will g1t go over cation exchange again...LOL...Happy Solistice...Merry Christmas..etc

12/21/2004 8:13:31 PM