The shortest day: 2020

 

I took this photo not long before twilight at about 3.30pm on 20 December 2020

Today is the shortest day of the year for those of us living in the northern hemisphere and I've been looking forward to it for ages, just like a kid waiting for Christmas Day. I'm not religious and I don't even think of myself as spiritual any more in spite of meditating regularly. 

This time of year doesn't mean a lot to me although I do think we should mark this season of long nights and short days with some kind of festival, preferably one that involves plenty of nice food to eat. It's a time of all sorts of religious festivals: besides Christmas in the next few days the Jewish festival of Hanukkah has just finished. 

The sun rose this morning in London at 08:04 and set at 15:53

There is an African feast called a Karamu that is held on 31 December. Kwanzaa is celebrated by millions of people of African descent all across the United States and Canada and of course the Pagan community celebrate Yule, the winter solstice on this very day.

While I generally enjoy winter and poking around fallen trees that have been left to decay for the benefit of the local wildlife this Covid 19 year has felt a bit more trying. To me, today feels like New Year's Eve. I can't take solace in the promise of better things to come but I can look forward to longer days and, unless the Earth changes its orbit, I know that will happen bit by little bit and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

Happy New Year