BLOGGING THE VIEW: 5 facts about the winter solstice

Although Zululand might not experience the icy chill of many other parts of the country during winter, we do still have the winter solstice, which falls between 20 and 22 June every year.

While this is not a hugely significant event when compared with something like the elections, it is seasonably significant and worth taking some time to reflect on.
As you snuggle up in your blankie and warm your fingers with a hot cup of tea, here are some fast facts to warm up your brain this winter solstice.

1. Blink and you’ll miss it!

Although we consider the winter solstice to run for an entire day, it’s actually just a brief moment of that day when the sun is right over the Tropic of Cancer.

2. First day of winter?

When is the first day of winter? Well, it actually depends on who you ask. A meteorologist will consider the first day of winter to be 1 June but an astronomer considers the winter solstice to be the official start of the season. This is because meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle, while astronomical seasons are based on the position of earth in relation to the sun

3. The rare solstice full moon

The expression ‘once in a blue moon’ can take a backseat because it turns out that the winter solstice full moon is even rarer than that! Since 1793 – presumably as long as there has been records kept – a full moon has fallen on the winter solstice only 10 times. There was one in 2010, but this was actually a northern hemisphere full moon so wouldn’t have impacted us. The next one is only planned for 2094.

4. It’s shadow puppet time

If you enjoy making shadow puppets, using shadows in photography, or even sketching using shadows, now is the time of year to practice your trade! The winter solstice shadows are extremely long because the sun is at its lowest arc across the sky.

5. Ancient solstice sites

Thousands of years ago, it seems our ancestors looked up and appreciated the skies a lot more than we do. Because of this, there are incredible monuments that have been constructed to celebrate the winter solstice. An example can be found in Ireland, known as Newgrange. It was built some thousand years before Stonehenge, in 3200BC. It has a tunnel facing the solstice sunrise which bathes the main chamber in light for 17 minutes.

SOURCES:
https://www.treehugger.com/things-know-about-winter-solstice-4863172
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/winter-solstice#:~:text=Called%20the%20summer%20solstice%2C%20it,can%20actually%20snow%20in%20July!

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