I've come to talk with you again... because it's time for another blog post!
Just like Simon and Garfunkel, today (or tonight), you'll have plenty of time to interrupt the sound of silence and talk with your old friend, the darkness, because today is the winter solstice. That means it's the first official day of winter and the shortest day (or longest night) of the year in the northern hemisphere. Depending on where you live, that might mean darkness at 4:00 pm.
When Simon and Garfunkel wrote this song, they were thinking about street lamps, neon lights, and subway walls. You, however, might be thinking, "Ugh, I'm already sick of trekking to the grocery store after work in the dark on the snowy, icy sidewalks, and it's only the first day of winter?!? How much more of this do I have to take?" I lived in Chicago for several years when I was younger, so I would know. There were plenty of street lamps, neon lights, and subways, but they didn't make walking down icy sidewalks to get your groceries in the dark any less annoying. However, I try to see the bright side of things and be a glass-half-full kind of person, and there is a bright side to the winter solstice.
There is a reason that the winter solstice has been celebrated and honored in festivals around the globe throughout human history. When entire cultures are dependent on knowing when to plant and harvest crops, astronomical events that help you keep track of the seasons and what time of year it is are a big deal. In fact, some winter solstice celebration traditions evolved into what we now know as part of Christmas. Did you know that wreaths and trees actually originated as ancient Norse winter solstice traditions? Due to the proximity of December 21st and 25th, they were eventually adopted as Christmas traditions in some cultures. The articles we've shared below explain the winter solstice's astronomy and fascinating cultural history.
In modern times, the winter solstice can be celebrated as a day dedicated to family, self-care, nature, or any combination of these. Drive around and enjoy the Christmas lights in your city, make a wreath to decorate your door, or go for a hike and enjoy the winter scenery. If you have kids, you can use it as a lesson about the solar system. If not everyone in your family or friend group celebrates Christmas, the winter solstice can make a great alternative celebration. Above all else, remember that the light will gradually return after this day, and the days will start getting longer instead of shorter. The icy sidewalks and cold nights might continue for a while, but at least you won't be going to the grocery store in the dark much longer!
Check out these winter solstice reads and videos from the library as part of your celebrations:
- BBC Worldwide Learning (Producer). (2012). Spin: Orbit - Earth's extraordinary journey [Full video]. (50:21)
- Brătulescu, M. (2005). Winter Solstice Songs. In L. Jones (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed., Vol. 14, pp. 9740-9746). Macmillan Reference USA.
- Crump, W. (2013). Winter Solstice. In The Christmas Encyclopedia. McFarland.
- Eldridge, A. (2023, November 7). Yule. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (Producer). (2020). Uncover the differences between solstices and equinoxes, and their relationship to the seasons [Full video]. (02:58)
- Hoff, D. B. (2021). Seasons. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 7, pp. 3944-3946). Gale.
- Newton, D. E. (2021). Solstice. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 7, p. 4106). Gale.
- Pannell, M. (2021). Archaeoastronomy. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 301-303). Gale.
- Steele, T. (2006). Toward the winter solstice : New poems. Ohio University Press.
- Weaver, W. W. (2003). Christmas. In S. H. Katz (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (Vol. 1, pp. 414-416). Charles Scribner's Sons.
- Why winter solstice matters around the world: 4 essential reads. (2023). In The Conversation (Ed.), The Conversation: An Independent Source of Analysis from Academic Researchers. The Conversation. (2023, January 3).
Julia Reed is the systems librarian and focuses on technology development and maintenance. She's into graphic design, photography, and spending time outdoors in her free time.