X-Nico

unusual facts about Winter Solstice


Longest Night

The longest night of the year occurs at the Winter solstice.


Dakshinayana

Dakshinayana (दक्षिणायण), is the six-month period between Summer solstice and Winter solstice, when the sun apparently travels towards the south on the celestial sphere.

Festive ecology

The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, on what is now 17 December, was the start of the Roman festival of Saturnalia.

Los Cardales

Since 1994, the bonfire is lit every June 21, which is the winter solstice day, Fogata de San Juan.

Pīrādziņi

The two biggest historic Latvian celebrations are for summer solstice and winter solstice: Jāņi (June 24 - St. John's Day) and Ziemassvētki (Christmas).

Pyramids of Güímar

The main limiting wall points to the sunset in the Summer solstice and the pyramids have stairs on their western side which face the direction of the rising sun on the Winter solstice.

The Devouring

The entries refer to demonic creatures called Vours who steal people's souls on the night of the Winter Solstice, known in the book as Sorry Night.


see also

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

During the winter solstice dancers, singers, and tribal members from the Confederated Tribes of Siletz visit the Tolowa peoples near Smith River, California, cedar plank dance house.

Finnish neopaganism

Various traditional festivals are followed, including Hela (a festival celebrating the coming of spring and the new growing season), Juhannus or Ukon juhla (the midsummer festival), Kekri (a celebration of harvest and the ancestors) and Joulu, the winter solstice.

Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

Comparison of contemporary structures and earlier drawings by Thomas Daniell and William Daniell show that earlier the temple has less structures and the Sun illuminated the shrine in summer and winter solstice.

Puñay

On The 21st of June 2007 an "Ancestral meeting for the arrival of new times" was held on Puñay to celebrate Inti Raymi which marks the winter solstice.

Rosamunde Pilcher

Rosamunde Pilcher's Coming Home, Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice are all available on DVD in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.

Witches' Sabbath

The modern Sabbats that many Wiccans and Neo-Pagans now follow are: Imbolc (February 2), Ostara (Spring Equinox), Beltane (May 1), Litha (Summer Solstice), Lammas (August 1), Mabon (Autumn Equinox), Samhain (October 31) and Yule (Winter Solstice).