The winter solstice is basically an astronomical type of phenomenon that marks the year’s shortest day and longest night. For those who live in the Northern Earth Hemisphere this astronomic phenomenon is known as the December solstice. However, for those who live in the Southern Earth Hemisphere, this astronomical event is known as the June solstice.
What This Astronomical Phenomenon Represents
For those who might not be familiar with details about the winter solstice, we thought it would be useful and interesting to reveal some of the unknown details about the phenomenon. First of all, during the solstice, the axial tilt of the Earth occurs which brings various gyroscopic effects due to its daily rotation. This means that two opposite points in the sky change in a very slow motion managing to make a full circle every 26.000 years.
Winter in One Hemisphere, summer in the Other Hemisphere
Due to the way in which the Earth follows the orbit around the Sun, we see the polar hemisphere facing towards the sun half of the year, thus enabling the season we know as summer. The other half of the year, the Sun faces away from the sun resulting the winter season as we know it. How is this possible? Because the two hemispheres always face opposite sides along the Earth axis. This is how it is possible for half of the hemisphere to experience winter while the other experiences the summer season.
Various Interpretations across Cultures
The winter solstice has been interpreted differently in various cultures for many years. In some of these culture it is considered a sign of recognition for the process of rebirth whereas others just know it for the type of holidays it symbolizes. In many cultures, there are numerous festivals and rituals that take place every year when the winter solstice occurs. Each of these events are interesting to analyze and if possible participate in at least once in a lifetime. Endless knowledge about other people’s culture can easily be revealed this way.
Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families
The winter solstice represents an amazing opportunity for you to celebrate with your family. It can become a yearly event meant to help you strengthen your bond with the family by spending quality time together. It can also represent yet another reason for expanding upon the existing patterns of celebration in your family. Furthermore, why should you not consider this event as the special moment when connecting with ancestors through shared memories becomes possible? You will discover a lot about them and how certain events in your family have happened. Additionally, spiritual renewal and sharing the love you feel for your family members can also become essential during the winter solstice.
All in all, the winter solstice is an interesting astronomic event that we should all know about. Doing something special when it occurs can become a great way of celebrating feelings of love and recognition for important things. Spending time with family is yet another great thing to do during the winter solstice. Sharing interesting memories and having fun together will create amazing new memories for the future.
