Winter Solstice: A Short Day, But a Gradual Return to More Sunlight

It's that time of year again.

The sun is at its lowest point in the sky. Days are short. Fog and cloud cover frequently obscure what little light we get and many days pass in a grey twilight, depriving us of that mood-lifting dose of real sunshine.

On those rare days when the sun shines through, Edmonds residents emerge from their winter cocoons, desperately determined to soak up a few rays while they can. They flock to the beaches, Sunset Avenue and the marina. They pack the outdoor tables at our many downtown coffee shops and cafes. Convertible tops come down for a few hours.

The 2011 winter solstice marks the end of the sun's journey south, when its rays strike the earth directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, the southern-most point in the sun's annual cycle. It then does an immediate about-face and begins the return voyage to us sun-starved folks in Edmonds.

Well, sort of. The sun doesn't actually move at all. It just seems to due to angle of the earth's axis (23.5 degrees off center) and its progress in the annual orbit around the sun (see accompanying illustration).

This year the sun hits its turnaround point on Dec. 22 at 5:30 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Edmonds is eight hours behind GMT, which means for us the solstice happens at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 21. This will be our shortest day of 2011, with a mere eight hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds separating sunrise and sunset.

Now here's the good news. After this, our days will start to get longer. The increase will be slow at first, with less than one second more daylight on the 22nd. But the rate of increase picks up significantly with the passing days. On Jan. 3, Edmonds will enjoy a full minute more daylight than the day before, and by the vernal equinox on March 21 the daily increase will be just under four minutes.

Over the centuries, numerous cultures have marked the winter solstice with celebrations, spiritual observances and feasting to celebrate the return of longer days and the promise they bring.

The ancient Romans celebrated the annual Saturnalia at this time, Scandinavians observed the Feast of Juul and in the western hemisphere the Incas and Mayans held special rituals to honor their sun god. Stonehenge in southern England, one of the world's most famous prehistoric structures, is believed by many to have been designed by the ancient Druids as an observatory to track the solar year. Modern-day druids still gather each year at Stonehenge to mark the solstices.

In modern times, of course, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas. However, many believe that Dec. 25 was chosen to offset and replace the various non-Christian celebrations of the solstice.

To Starfeather, an Edmonds-based spiritual teacher and guide, the winter solstice is a sacred time.

"The longest night and shortest day of the solstice is both a time of profound peace and of promise that the light will return," she says. "For me it's a time to pause, think, contemplate and look at the big question of who we are and where we are going." 

For Edmonds residents, Starfeather—who has been serving the Edmonds community since 1992—suggests taking a break from the hustle of the season for a peaceful walk on local beaches. For the more energetic, she recommends celebrating the return of the light by getting up to watch the first sunrise of the new season. Around these parts, that would be Dec. 22.

"Celebrate the sun's return and allow yourself to simply be in the rhythm of the natural world to which we all belong," Starfeather says. "Think about the upcoming year, set intentions for yourself, take actions like planning your garden and ordering seed catalogs." 

Sounds like excellent advice to me.  And to all my readers, my best wishes for the holiday season, peace, happiness and good fortune in the new year.