- Winter Calendar -

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-December-
In December, the sun rises at 7:20am and sets around 3:50pm. The days get 1 minute shorter every morning and every evening. From the 21st of December on, they will slowly grow longer : it's the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the solar year (see below).

December is a time for celebration and gathering. In Christian countries, the night of the 24th to the 25th of December is the celebration of the birth of Christ. Every year since the Middle Ages, people re-create the holy crib of Bethleem. We don't know the real date of the Nativity. In the IVth Century, Christmas became a religious feast, the Church replaced the pagan cult of Winter Solstice by the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth.

Christmas isn't celebrated the same way in every country.  In most Northern countries, Saint Nicolas (Santa Claus)  brings the presents to the children on the 6th of December. Having a Christmas Tree at home and decorate it comes from Germany.

 

-January-
In January, the sun rises at 7:45am and sets around 4:15pm. The days gain 1 minute  every morning and 30 second every evening.

The 1st of January has not always been the firts day of the year. Under Carolus Magnus (Charlemagne) the new year started on the 1st of March, and during the French Revolution, the first day of the new year was the Autumn Equinox.

On the 6th of January is the Epiphany, the day the 3 Wise Men visited Jesus Christ and brought presents to the new born Messiah.

 

-February-
February is the shortest month of the year. The sun rises around 8:20am and sets around 5:35pm. The days get 1:45 minute longer every morning and every evening.

A long time ago, before starting Lent, people used to organise 3 days of feast. The Carnival would end in the night of Pancake Tuesday.

On the 2nd of February is Candlemas. People used to light candles to bring peace and happiness in their homes. Today, for Candlemas, people eat pancakes : they were supposed to represent the last of the Winter new moon, the one announcing the coming of Spring.

On the 14th, it's Valentine's Day, the day when lovers exchange small presents to remind each other of their feelings.

 

-March-
In March, the sun rises at 7:30am and sets around 6:25pm. The days get 2 minutes longer every morning and every night.
The 21st of March is the Spring Equinox and the first day of Spring.

 

 

-Winter Solstice-

Winter starts on the 21st of December. It is the shortest day of the year and is also the first day of the new solar year, known as Winter Solstice.

Winter Solstice (or Yule from Norse meaning wheel) has been celebrated for thousands of years in Europe. On the 21st of December, the planet Earth is the farthest from the Sun, which appears at its lowest and weakest. It is a pivot point from which the light will grow stronger and brighter, the days stop growing shorter and will slowly lengthen. To ancient civilisations and beliefs, this particular day marked the rebirth of Light (the Sun) and the end of Darkness, and was supposed to hold powerful connections with the worlds of magic and mysticism.

Stonehenge. It is thought that Stonehenge dates back thousands of years, to approximately 2800 BC.  No one is quiet sure who built it or what it's function was. There are many theories, ranging from an astronomical observatory to religious temples to a calendar. Stonehenge is angled such that on the equinoxes and the solstices, the sun rising over the horizon appears to be perfectly placed between gaps in the megaliths.

All kinds of rites and celebrations took place on that special day. In pagan Scandinavia, great yule logs were burned, people drank mead around bonfires, listening to minstrel-poets singing ancient legends. It was believed that the yule log had the magical effect of helping the sun to shine more brightly. Roman masters feasted with slaves, who were given the freedom to do and say what they liked.

Mistletoe, which was sacred because it mysteriously grew on the most sacred tree, the oak, was ceremoniously cut by Druid priests and a spray given to each family, to be hung in the doorways as good luck. Mistletoe is still forbidden in most Christian churches because of its Pagan associations, but it has continued to have a special place in home celebrations.

Winter Solstice has deep connections with our modern 'Winter Feast' : Christams! In the 3rd century, various dates from December to April, were celebrated by Christians as Christmas. January 6 was the most favoured day because it was thought to be Jesus' baptismal day. Around 350, December 25 was adopted in Rome and gradually almost the entire Christian Church agreed to that date, which coincided with Winter Solstice. By 1100, Christmas was the peak celebration of the year for all of Europe. Many pagan rituals and customs have survived and now belong to Christmas traditions. The Christmas tree is one of them. It was the time to celebrate the renewal of the earth, and greens were used as the symbol. Branches of pine, cedar, and juniper were commonly used to bring wonderful fragrance into the home. Red candles were used to symbolize the fire and heat of the returning sun as the days begin to lengthen.