Solstice

This morning the world sunlight map says it all: 24 hours of darkness at the North Pole, and midnight sun at the South Pole. We won't notice it in Seattle for weeks, but tomorrow there will be a few more seconds of daylight. And the day after that, a few more. The sun is now at its lowest arc in the northern hemisphere, and it just creeps along above the south horizon. It rarely comes out from behind the clouds anyway, but when it does the strange angle of light through dirty windows shows dust in interesting places while I sit at my desk. (Maybe spring house-cleaning is yet another ancient pagan ritual brought on by the return of the light.)

Many, many cultures around the world performed solstice ceremonies. It was about the basic fear that the light wouldn't return without human rituals. And in northern climates, there is something anxious about the long darkness. If you have time to read a good article on this busy short day, click here to read There Goes the Sun by Richard Cohen from the NYT.

It should be a relief to know this event is completely indifferent to human intervention, one way or the other. (Although we all enjoy the excuse for a party.) But the Solstice will still be happening when we're long gone from this planet.