Happy Solstice

[Devil Doc]

In the northern hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. Many of the most ancient stone structures made by human beings were designed to pinpoint the precise date of the solstice. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.

Ancient peoples believed that because daylight was waning, it might go away forever, so they lit huge bonfires to tempt the sun to come back. The tradition of decorating our houses and our trees with lights at this time of year is passed down from those ancient bonfires


Doc.

 

[davidr2340]

In the northern hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. Many of the most ancient stone structures made by human beings were designed to pinpoint the precise date of the solstice. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.

Ancient peoples believed that because daylight was waning, it might go away forever, so they lit huge bonfires to tempt the sun to come back. The tradition of decorating our houses and our trees with lights at this time of year is passed down from those ancient bonfires


Doc.

Thanks for that Doc! :thumbs:
Interesting. I did not know this!!!

 

[Shooter]

Me either, thanks

 

[AngryFishH]

I will do my part in trying to tempt the sun to come back, one cigar fire at a time.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all an Opus X.

 

[CoventryCat86]

In the northern hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. Many of the most ancient stone structures made by human beings were designed to pinpoint the precise date of the solstice. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.

Ancient peoples believed that because daylight was waning, it might go away forever, so they lit huge bonfires to tempt the sun to come back. The tradition of decorating our houses and our trees with lights at this time of year is passed down from those ancient bonfires


Doc.

Not true actually. This year, December 22nd is the shortest day with respect to length of daylight, 9 hours and 14 minutes of daylight as opposed to December 21st this year which has 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight.

There's a three way tie this year for the longest night at 14 hours and 46 minutes:
12/20 - 12/21
12/21 - 12/22
12/22 - 12/23


This season, sunset is the latest in the day between December 3rd and December 15th and sunrise is the earliest in the day between December 31st and January 9th.

 

[smokelaw1]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

 

[grateful1]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

Now that's some funny shizzle! :laugh:

 

[Poronico]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

Now that's some funny shizzle! :laugh:

Yea i have noticed quite a trend with " bills " posts.... kind of a negative nancy. I may be new here but it doesn't take a cigar smoking veteran to know when someone needs a break from the internet.

 

[smokelaw1]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

Now that's some funny shizzle! :laugh:

Yea i have noticed quite a trend with " bills " posts.... kind of a negative nancy. I may be new here but it doesn't take a cigar smoking veteran to know when someone needs a break from the internet.

Well, I laugh at that, but I know Bill, and I think our relationship is at a place where we can poke fun at each other.
If I was very new here, I might be hesitant to poke the bear...especially if I had read enough of his posts to know what that sometimes starts.

 

[grateful1]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

Now that's some funny shizzle! :laugh:

Yea i have noticed quite a trend with " bills " posts.... kind of a negative nancy. I may be new here but it doesn't take a cigar smoking veteran to know when someone needs a break from the internet.

Easy there...



Stick around - read more - and find out about the interactions of the members.





Sorry for the thread jack Doc. Thanks for the info!

Oh - don't forget :

 

[CoventryCat86]

Hi, my name is Bill, and I suck the fun out of gathering, sharing and reading interesting facts.

Now that's some funny shizzle! :laugh:

Yea i have noticed quite a trend with " bills " posts.... kind of a negative nancy. I may be new here but it doesn't take a cigar smoking veteran to know when someone needs a break from the internet.

This coming from BrownDevil's brother. How is my post "negative?" I see you're just as much of a jerk as your brother and it didn't take you long at all to show your ass, did it?

 

[skrgrl74]

CC be nice. He's a newbie and an in-law.....

 

[CoventryCat86]

CC be nice. He's a newbie and an in-law.....

Yeah, me "be nice?" So tell me skygrl74, what do you think of his behavior here?

 

[skrgrl74]

I see the point CC disregard this post's earlier content.

Happy SOLSTICE AND WINTER(bah humbug) to everyone :laugh:
BRING ON THE SUN, even if it is one cigar fire at a time.

And let me clarify: not an in-law of mine but BD's

edited to pull my head out of my a$$. it's to dang early for me

 

[tigger]

Bill's not feeling well. I'm sure that once he gets a little vitamin C and chickum soup in him, he'll be less prickly.

 

[CoventryCat86]

CC who's behavior? remember I've been gone for a while. And HAPPY SOLSTICE and happy winter (bah Humbug) everyone!

edited for spelling, since I can't spell worth a darn!

Is is really that hard to figure out who I'm talking about? Please don't play dumb.....

(Hint: browndevil's brother, ya "got it" now?"

 

[skrgrl74]

look again I modified the post. And i'll send you some soup

 

[Swifty]

Happy Solstice! Merry meet. Merry Part. Merry meet again.

 

[LilBastage]

As a member of The Royal Order of the 21st'ers, I say Happy Winter Solstice!

It's all uphill from here! The sun will be out longer and longer as each day passes (with the noted exceptions by CC above ).

Here comes Spring!

 

[Devil Doc]

Astronomy is not one of my hobbies, but I think the confusion arises over the definition of solstice. Astronomically speaking, the solstice is an exact moment in time. In our case, on the East coast, 1722hrs EST on the 21st of Dec. 2007. The shortest day is indeed Dec. 22nd. The first full day of Winter.
In the midwest however, the astonomical solstice occurs at 0022 on the 22nd of Dec. Therefore there, the solstice and the shortest day occur on the same day. You live in CT. don't you, Bill?
Doc