Winter Solstice Celebrations in December - and in June, Too
Dec 15th, 2009 by admin
The winter solstice - that instant every year when the sun is farthest away from earth - has always been a “magic” time for mankind. As About.com’s guide to Ireland, Bernd Biege, speculates: “The nights had become noticeably longer for weeks, the days murkier, the sun styling low on the horizon. You can just imagine cavemen muttering to each other ‘If this carries on, we’ll have to invent fire to see anything at all!’”
You can read about winter solstice celebrations around the globe in his blog The Winter Solstice - Not Just Newgrange, where tourists gather to watch the rising sun illuminate the heart of the megalith’s inner chamber. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is actually in late June. In Cusco, Peru, this shortest day of the year is celebrated with parades and festivals. In nearby Machu Picchu, travelers gather at dawn to watch the sun’s rays spill shine through a window in the Temple of the Sun and light up a ceremonial stone.
Photo © L Friedland
Winter Solstice Celebrations in December - and in June, Too originally appeared on About.com Adventure Travel on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 13:06:32.
