Winter Solstice 2011

[Polly]

The Winter Solstice - official beginning of winter - will occur at 0530 UTC on December 22, 2011; or, in my location, at 2330 tonight.

Although the sun will continue to rise just a bit later each morning through the first week of January, it has begun setting later since December 14th, leaving us at a standstill as far as length of day. That will change on December 23rd, when we gain a minute of day length. I'm looking forward to the second week of January, when we gain those minutes a bit faster.

While I will be lighting a candle tonight in a fanciful gesture to welcome back the light; I will, for a much more practical reason, be making sure to welcome the sun every chance I get during the coming winter months - finding a sheltered location and turning my face to the sun, pant legs hiked and sleeves pulled up. I encourage you all to do the same - as it will help fend off SAD, and help your body manufacture Vitamin D. No wrapping in wet sheets required

[FOTH]

No, the wet sheets are only for use during snowstorms, the windier the better...

Good point about making an effort to get Vitamin D--I guess that's why it was traditional for children to be given cod liver oil all winter for so many years, and it wouldn't hurt for folks to give that a try too, as far as making sure they get enough Vitamin D, because a lot of the complications people seem to get from routine viruses stem from Vitamin D deficiencies, as I understand it.

Often when I'm hiking or skiing in the winter and working hard, I'll roll up my sleeves or even wear short sleeves, just because I'm usually well enough adapted to the cold that I get too hot otherwise, and that helps with getting some sun.

I don't mind the dark winter months, though--much prefer them to the heat of summer!