n.b. Sorry that today’s post is a little ropey, I’m suffering from the flu and I’ve had to write this in snatches when I’ve been able to concentrate.
Today’s “Winter Sun” prompt couldn’t be more appropriate because today is the Midwinter Solstice!
The Midwinter Solstice is the moment in the solar year when the northern hemisphere is at it’s furthest point from the sun (of course the converse is true in the southern hemisphere making it their Summer Solstice), and it appears that, for a short time, the sun stands still. It’s an event that has been celebrated for millennia, and a number of stone monuments (megalithic structures) are oriented to take this into account. At Maeshowe on Orkney a tunnel in the chambered tomb allows in the light from the midwinter sunset (they usually have a live feed showing the sunset but that isn’t running this year sadly), and celebrations take place at Stonehenge and Avebury Stone Circle at sunrise.
So, what are your thoughts on winter sun? Do you do anything for the solstice? Or are you more inclined to escape to warmer climes at this time of year?
Don’t forget to check out the other Blogmas posts I’ve written this year here, and check back over the last few days of advent for more!
Rainbows and Roses 