Today in History: Winter Solstice
So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us—Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!
-- The Shortest Day, by Susan Cooper, from Six Poems for the Winter Solstice on Read Poetry
Occurring in mid-December, Winter Solstice recognizes the birth of the new solar year and the beginning of Winter which astronomically lasts until the Spring Equinox, when the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is almost equal. Today, December 21st, 2023, the Earth’s axis tilts furthest away from the Sun, causing, for a brief instant, a shortening of the day and lengthening of the night. This year the Winter Solstice will occur at 10:27pm EST.
The event has been interpreted by many different countries as a time of renewal and rebirth, intricately connected to celebrations around this time, including Yule, Christmas, Saturnalia, and many others. With numerous festivities across the globe and crispness in the air, we will begin to see longer and longer days of sunlight as we move toward the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice.
Join us in appreciating the environmental and historical significance of the Winter Solstice -- and enjoy a healthy and happy season ahead!
The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- The Winter Solstice. (1887, Dec 06). New York Times (1857-1922)
- The Heavens In December: The Sun At the Southerly Point Of Its Journey. (1893, Nov 26). New York Times (1857-1922)
- Serviss, G.P. S. (1913, Feb 16). When Winter Is Coldest: It Does Not Occur At Winter -- Solstice Because a Balance Must Be Struck Between Amount Of Heat Radiated Away At Night and That Received By Day. The Washington Post (1877-1922)
- Serviss, G. P. (1916, Mar 05). The Secret Of the Changing Days. The Sun (1837-1995)
- Roland, E. H. (1951, Dec 24). Winter Solstice. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current File)
- Uncle Ray's Corner: Slanting Rays Provide Less Warmth In Winter. (1954, Dec 23). Newsday (1940-1992)
- Winter Solstice. (1963, Dec 22). New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Tufty, B. (1981, Dec 21). Winter Solstice. The Sun (1837-1995)
- Groom, R. (1993, Dec 08). It's In the Cards: From Christmas To the Winter Solstice, A Season Of Greetings. The Washington Post (1974-Current File)
- Watkins, R. (1995, Dec 13). The Winter Solstice: Soon the Sun Stops Retreating, and Dark Days Begin to Brighten. The Washington Post (1974-Current File)
- Phenomena: Playing The Sun's Angles. (1995, Dec 13). The Washington Post (1974-Current File)
- Ahlstrom, D. (2010, Dec 23). The Natural Cycles Behind Christmas: The Gathering That Celebrated the Winter Solstice At Newgrange This Week Was An Illustration Of the Pre-Christian Foundations Behind the Festival Of Christmas. The Irish Times (1921-Current File)
Tips:
- Falick, Melanie, Betty Christiansen, and Susan Pittard. Handknit Holidays : Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hannukah, and Winter Solstice. New York: STC Craft, 2005. e-book
- Magli, Giulio. Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt. 1st ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. e-book
- Steele, Timothy. Toward the Winter Solstice New Poems. Athens: Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, 2006. e-book
Images:
- Winter Solstice Sunset Near Rhynie, by Sylvia Duckworth, 2010, from Geograph
- Poster Image: Siebert, Roselies and Heinz Hüttel. Winter Star, 1955. From The Ziegfeld Collection of International Children's Art, Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University.
Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check additional Cafe News postings on the library blog.
