what happens an lone winter evening?
Answers
On a lone winter evening, when the frost has wrought a silence.
~John Keats
If you pay attention to your circadian rhythm, you’ll notice something tonight. The sun will set a bit early and morning will come a bit late tomorrow and the long night will feel still. Tonight marks the great stillness — the darkest day and the longest night of the year– the Winter Solstice. The word solstice comes from the Latin and literally means sun set still.
People have marked this moment for tens of thousands of years. Every morning the sun rises on a slightly different trajectory than it did the morning before, and at this point it appears not to move at all. That must have really rattled our ancestors. Winter brings scarcity and hardship. You’d want to know when the season would change and plenty would return. The Winter Solstice was a time for celebration and joy and many early cultures held solstice ceremonies to coax the return of the warming sun. Some still do.
So… turn off your electric lights and immerse yourself in the long dark tonight. Light candles and reflect. It’s time to count your blessings and contemplate a new year. The return of sun is as good a time as any to take stock– a time to be thankful the sun will rise in the morning and you’ll live to see another day. Share the stories of your lives with your loved ones. Tell them how thankful you are that they are in your life. The winter solstice is a time to mend relationships and renew your hope and goodwill. And come tomorrow, you’ll find the day just a little bit longer, a little bit brighter. Spring is around the corner.