This post is for all of you heat-seeking, flip-flop wearing, humidity-admiring (you people be crazy), sunburn-getting, light till 9:30 PM-ing, summer-loving folks. It is your day.
Today is the official first day of winter. Winter solstice marks the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere due to the sun being at its most southern position, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. What that means, convertible owners, is that after today you will receive one extra minute of daylight. By January 7, though, we’re adding a full two minutes, one at sunrise and one at sunset.
Following January 7, the days begin to get longer twice as fast as they were between December 21 and January 7. Heck, by February 1, you can break out your swimsuits and get a jump on that summer burn.
Some cultures celebrate the night of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice as “Yalda night”, which is loosely translated the “longest and darkest night of the year”. On this night, all of the family gather together, usually at the house of the oldest, and celebrate by eating and drinking and reading poems. Nuts, pomegranates and watermelons are traditional celebratory foods.
Astrology website Lunar Living, advised “You may feel limited and constrained today, but do not let that feeling keep you from living up to your obligations.” Crap! I was planning to use the winter solstice as an excuse to stay on the sofa all day.
On this winter solstice day (and Healthy Thursday), l must add a serious note. There are individuals who truly suffer with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody.
If symptoms linger for an extended period of time, physicians advise that you do not brush off those feelings as simply a case of the winter blues. Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year. Bundle up and get outdoors, even on a cloudy day. Take a brisk walk. If stuck indoors, be active. Bake cookies with your grandchildren or bake cookies for a neighbor. Keep inspirational music going. Sit by your fire with a mug of hot cocoa and plan your spring activities. Spring will return. It always does.
For those of you who truly want to celebrate winter solstice, come on over. Last Saturday, I received a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. We will feast on pomegranates and watermelons (and maybe pizza), drink up that wine and read Emily Dickinson until we weep.
Enjoy the extra daylight, parrot-heads.