#FunFactFriday – Winter Solstice
Smog filled mornings and rainy days mean (brace yourself) winter is coming! So prepare yourself with gloves and hot coffee to keep you warm during your early morning commute, and if you are in north Phoenix like myself, you may want to think about getting a snow scraper, as we’ve already had a few inches of hail, snow and sleet just this week.
Weather occurrences like this affirm “climate” truly is one of the five C’s of Arizona. For today’s #FunFactFriday, I thought we would dive into the celebration of winter solstice with a few fun facts about the holiday, especially since we have covered the fun facts of summer solstice this year.
- Winter solstice is not just a day (Dec. 21 this year) but a specific point in time when the sun shines directly over the Topic of Capricorn.
- Against popular belief, winter solstice does not occur when the Earth is closest to the sun. In fact, the Earth will be on its perihelion just two weeks after.
- Solstices were recognized by most ancient civilizations including the Celts, Mayan, Chinese and Native Americans that celebrate death and rebirth.
- Speaking of birth, many important discoveries were made on Dec. 21. In 1620, the pilgrims reached the New World landing at Plymouth, in 1898; Marie Curie discovered radium and in 1968, Apollo 8 launched the first manned moon mission.
- Stonehenge is a popular destination to celebrate both solstices, as it is the only time to see the mysteriously placed rock align with the sun.
So as the shortest day of the year is approaching, how are you going to make the most of the days ahead?
