Winter Solstice 2013

The winter solstice is almost upon us. In scientific terms, the winter solstice occurs at the precise moment when the axial tilt of earth’s polar hemisphere is the farthest away from the sun.

The longest night of the year. From now on the days get colder and colder, but the light is also returning, making our days longer. This is the original Yule. The birth of the light. It is a symbol of life, death and rebirth. 

I like this poem called "The Shortest Day" by Susan Cooper:

So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!!

Also, I love this old animated film from 1982, based on the book by Raymond Briggs: "The Snowman" The music is so haunting and beautiful....