We'll count all our blessings

Today marks the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day in the year. As someone who’s out walking beginning around 0600 most mornings, I welcome the gradual lengthening of the light, although it’ll be some time before it makes an actual difference to the start of my outings.

Probably since the origins of humanity, people have celebrated this annual event, giving thanks for the return of the sun, gathering around bonfires, singing, banging on things, eating and drinking. Before the domestication of fire to candles, followed by gas lights and then by electricity, knowing that the hours of darkness would not in fact continue to grow was comforting in a world full of perils.

Actually, now that I think of it, not so different from Year II of COVID. Huh.

The festival we know as Christmas was overlaid on older traditions; the birth of the Son of God has perhaps more dramatic impact if it’s celebrated around the Solstice rather than sometime in Spring, which makes more meteorological and astronomical sense. The early Church accomplished two goals with the coopting: subsumed pagan sun worship into Christian rites and gave themselves license to feast away the longest nights of the year.

Our entry for Advent today is “Solstice Carole”, by Kim Baryluk, sung by her folk group Wyrd Sisters. It’s more reflective than roistering, but I think it suits the day. And night.