A Sodden Solstice

[poliphilo]

I like the Google Doodle of the knitting hands but "first day of winter"? Surely not. I've never heard the solstice called that before.

Yesterday was bright and clear; today we haven't see the sun at all. Rain has fallen steadily. The Donkey House- a former stable that is now just a place where blackbirds nest- is flooded to a depth of an inch or two.  It stands on sloping ground and the water is pouring out the back wall- through gaps in the brickwork- with force enough to power a hamster-sized water wheel.

Comments

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

*looks outside at 84 F-degree weather* First day of winter. Riiiight. Where? Send some my way!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I suppose it depends on one's climate. Here in Britain I reckon winter starts sometime in November.

[theperfectfool.livejournal.com]

Children in the USA are taught that Winter and Summer begin at the solstice even though that makes no sense. I can't fathom why that ever got started.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I thought it might be an American thing. I'm not sure if we have an official start to winter over here. If we do I don't know when it is.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

We have two solstices and two equinoxes. In the United States, seasons change on the solstices and equinoxes.

I think the cross-quarter days make more sense: Groundhog's Day would be the beginning of spring (even though it's still winter, which would explain the point of Groundhog's Day), summer would start at May Day, autumn at August 1, which isn't a particular non-Pagan holiday, but whatever, and winter at Halloween. So, since we in the United States make our official change on the quarter days, our OFFICIAL seasons start three months, on average, after they pretty much ACTUALLY do.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's crazy.

The seasons start when they please, irrespective of when we say they do.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

And, indeed, in most of the United States, that's ACTUALLY how we think of it. Autumn starts when the leaves change. Winter starts when the leaves have all fallen, and frost and snow start. Spring starts when the flowers begin budding; summer when it gets all summery.

Even if we have these official dates, which make no sense, even if we can talk about what better choices for the official dates would be, in practice, we recognize that the seasons start when they start.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Over here, we are more likely to hear "first day of winter" or "shortest day* of the year" than "solstice."

* Annoying, since 24 hours still equals 24 hours, but I get what they mean.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Solstice isn't used that much over here either. It comes naturally to me because I used to be active on the Pagan scene.

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

Down here in a non US-season observing country (Australia) the seasons go like this

Summer: December, January, February
Autumn: March, April, May
Winter: June, July, August
Spring: September, October, November.

So the first day of Summer, for example, is December 1. When I found out you guys do it differently, I just assumed we were following the British custom.

Oh, but we also get the "longest" and "shortest" days instead of "solstice".

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This is interesting -- my New Thing to learn today.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Well you've got me curious now. When does winter officially start for you?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I'm not sure there is an officially recognized date.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

We had a bright clear hour around 11ish - then steady rain, with a huge gale, lightning and hail this evening - it seems that a "weather front" was on its way into England

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Maybe your thunder and hail will hit us later. It's quiet at the moment (10 pm). Perhaps it's the calm before the storm.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Well i have been out in the sodding rain all day from 10 am until 8 pm when i arrived back and thus totally fed up with it. I felt like a duck.
(Warm scotch in hand since then for remedial purposes only)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm drinking port this year. My tastes are becoming positively senescent.