Last night was the shortest night of the year (northern hemisphere --the longest in the southern). It was the Winter Solstice.From today on, the day will be a little bit longer every day and the sun will be hotter and Spring, slowly, will take over Winter.
In Roman Times, around this date (it used to fall on the 25th of December at the time, before the calendar reform), they used to celebrate the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the Festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun, in honour of Saturn; and the main day, last night, was called Saturnalia. During that time, Romans feasted, postponed all business and warfare, exchange gifts, and temporally freed their slaves.
On the 4th century it was replaced by a conveniently chosen date for the birth of Jesus Christ.
It has always been a very special date, as many cultures have celebrated it. Other feasts in and around the Winter Solstice are:
- Chinese: Dong Zhi
- Christian: Christmas (including Saint Stephen, Saint John the Evangelist, Advent), Saint Nicholas (12/6), Holy Innocents (12/28), Sylvester (31/12), Feast of Circumcision and Feast of Fools (01/1), Candlemas (01/2) and Orthodox Christmas or Wise Men/Kings of Orient's day (01/6).
- Germanic: Modranect (Mother's day on the Saxon Winter Solstice Festival), Yule (Winter Solstice).
- Jewish: Hanukkah (Festival on the Commemoration of the Miracle of the Candles).
- Neopagan: Yule and Imbolc (Festival of Candles).
- Persian: Yalda (Winter Solstice, Birth of Sun God Mehr).
Secular: Life Day (12/20, Wookiee), Agnostica (Celebration of the Birth of the Quantum Physics), Zamenhof Day (12/15, Birthday of Dr. Esperanto), Festivus (12/23, from Seinfield's Show), HumanLight (12/23, Secular Humanist Midwinter Holiday), Chrismukkah (slang for Christmass and Hanukkah in the mix families), Yuletide, Giftmas, Newtonmas (12/25, Birthday of Newton), Boxing Day, Kwanzaa (12/26-01/1, festival of African-American culture), Hogmanay (12/31, Scotish New Year's Eve).
I wish you a wonderful Feast of the Invincible God Sun and a hopeful Kalends, the first day of the year, and I encourage you to keep the festivity's happiness along the year.
Look at the Sun, He is Life, Love and Happiness.
[Bottom picture: Saturnalia, by Antoine-François Callet]
2 comments:
most of the festivities are reinterpretations of others.
in my case I don't celebrate halloween, the 31st of october is new year's eve in the celtic calendar, and I prefer that.
and these days is the end of the official year, so is there a best way to celebrate it that spending some time with your friends/family and giving some presents to say 'thank you for being there'?
hey habibi, wishing u a merry christmas and a happy new year!
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