Sunday 22 December 2019

December 22nd and the Winter Solstice

According to my Folklore diary Winter starts today, although meteorologically  it started at the beginning of December.
The winter solstice marks the date that the Earth is at its maximum tilt from the sun and that was at 04:19 this morning, it is the first time in four years that it hasn't fallen on 21 December, the solstice's most common date, although on rare occasion it can also occur on the 20th or 23rd. London will have just 7 hours, 49 minutes and 44 seconds of daylight, but from now onward the length of daylight hours increases........... imperceptibly at first but by this time next month there will be 1¼ hours more daylight................Reasons to be cheerful Part1!

 The Winter segment of the turning wheel from Celebrations of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole.

Special places have always been used to celebrate the Solstice



I found this poem a couple of years ago


 The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper


And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.

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So much for circling things to watch in the Radio Times, the first things I wanted to see were only on if a Liverpool football match wasn't on TV in the evening - and it was because they qualified for something?  Then I found Swallows and Amazons - the more recent film - was on and as I'd re-watched the older version and loved it all over again last week I decided to re-watch the this newer and in my opinion not very good film,  and that meant I missed the next thing circled. But that was OK as it was on the 5 catch-up channel, which I can now watch on my new TV.
Reasons to be cheerful part 2!

1 day down 13 days circling programmes and watching/not watching left!

Thank you to everyone for comments - I love it when someone who's never commented before says they enjoy reading the blog.

Today I will be singing carols and having lunch with Colin's sister and brother .........Reasons to be cheerful Part 3!

 Back Tomorrow
Sue

30 comments:

  1. You have a lovely festive day ahead of you. I love singing carols.
    A Happy Yule to you and yours, Sue. X

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    1. Thank you, I've had a lovely day and now home to light the wood-burner

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  2. Solstice Blessings from our house to yours. xx

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  3. Lots of reasons to be cheerful and thankful. A lovely post, thanks, Sue and Happy winter solstice to you. Have a lovely day.
    xx

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  4. How quickly we've become accustomed to "catch up" TV. It doesn't seem that long since we acquired a video recorder, and there was much angst about "have you set it to record my programme properly?" if one favourite programme clashed with another (or was on when we were due to be out) I'm pleased to see that "Christmas Good Life" episode is on again. Have a lovely Christmas week, Sue, with family, friends and the new TV!

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    1. I've even got the Good Life on DVDs but will still watch it this evening.............again

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  5. Dear Sue, at long last (after several years of following your story) and enjoying your take on like, I've finally signed up as a proper follower! Thank you for having me!

    On this gloomy shortest day, we've just chuckled over our cornflakes at the Leiston posties' Christmas message.

    Like Angela says above, we spotted the Good Life Christmas episode is on again and will to catch it. Our Christmas will be coming from Sainsbury's not delivered from Harrods.

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    1. Hello and welcome, it's lovely to see someone from Suffolk reading the blog.

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    2. Hi Sue, yes we're not far away! My first job was in Stowmarket and we lived in Leiston when we were first married so I love reading about all the places you talk about. We're so lucky to live in such a wonderful county.

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  6. Merry Christmas and all the best for 2020 to you and yours I have been reading and following your journey for a long time but never commented before, like you I am a widow and making the best of things with a loving family x

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    1. Thank you and it's so good to find people commenting and reading and enjoying the blog - I enjoy writing, it's been a great help in keeping me busy for the last 18 months

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  7. Thank you Sue for all your posts.
    Enjoy you day with family we are so lucky to have them.
    The sun is shining and I am going to have a walk.
    Hazel c uk

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    1. Thank you.I've had a good day and now home to light the wood-burner and settle in for the evening

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  8. Enjoy your day! Carols make everything seem a little more like Christmas

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    1. We sang some Advent carols I'd never come across before - so it was a bit different.

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  9. Our celebrating starts today with the arrival of daughter, son in law and granddaughter age 2 from Buffalo, NY. They will stay until Saturday after Christmas.
    I liked that poem.

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  10. Merry Christmas
    Love your blog

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  11. Thankfully, by the time we get to Springing Forward we will have sufficient daylight to compensate.

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    1. I'd quite like some proper winter frosty weather and a quiet spring - anything except all the rain we've been having

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  12. Hi Sue, I have followed your blog for a very long time but have never left a comment before. I enjoy your writing very much and always find your blog interesting. A few weeks ago I met Angela through your blog at a school show that my granddaughter was in. I hope you and your family have a nice Christmas and a happy New Year.

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    1. I'm loving so many new people commenting - wonderful - so thank you.
      I'm looking forward to meeting Ang when she retires up to Norfolk - we are the same age, married in the same year and both spent younger years in Baptist chapels!

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    2. I love the way we can all link together like this - yes, Sue, you are high on my "important people to meet up with when I retire" list!

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  13. Hello I came across your lovely blog by surfing in from another one - that's the best way isn't it as you know it must be good since someone else subscribes! I haven't commented before although I have been reading and appreciating your daily posts but I thought I would take the plunge today to say that I live in Shetland so thankfully our shortest day is over and the days will be lengthening again - phew! Here in Shetland, with the sun rising at 09:08 and setting at 14:57 that's 5 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. From now the days start to lengthen by around 2 hours a month. By mid June we'll have 18 hours and 55 minutes of daylight and hardly any darkness at night - what a wonderful world!
    Best wishes for a happy and peaceful Christmas to you and your family (and your blog readers here too) - I'll maybe pluck up courage to post again now I have broken my duck!

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    1. Hello and thank you for reading and for commenting for the first time from way-up-north! Not sure how I would cope with less than 6 hours of daylight but I think I would enjoy the big skies and sea and long daylight in the summer

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  14. You do have a wonderful store of facts! I am comforted to know that in a month's time we will have an extra hour of daylight. Reasons to be Cheerful is a great idea, good to look for the positives. Merry Christmas Sue to you and yours. Carole.

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  15. Enjoy your visit with Col's sister and your sing a thon.

    God bless.

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