Reassuring Winter Solstice

Today is the 21st of December 2024, the day of the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. This morning here at Resipole, the Sun rose at 8:55:37am and set at 3:46:26pm, giving us just 6 hours, 51 minutes and 49 seconds of daylight. Such short days bring the possibility some glorious late-morning winter sunrises and equally spectacular mid-afternoon sunsets. Watching the gold and pink hues developing in the sky during such moments can be an awe-inspiring experience, but what I find more profound at the Solstice is the realisation that the days will begin to lengthen and with this comes a quiet, uplifting sense of hope and renewal. It’s a moment of subtle awareness, as though the natural world itself is offering reassurance that the long, dark nights are behind us and brighter days lie ahead.

Frozen Uisge II - Loch Uisge, Kingairloch, Ardgour
A late-morning winter sunrise over a frozen Loch Uisge, Kingairloch, Ardgour

Although many people refer to the Winter Solstice as the Shortest Day of the year, it is the exact moment when the northern hemisphere is furthest away from the Sun. This happened today, 21 December 2024, at precisely 9:21 am when the Sun was directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn, its southernmost point in the sky. From here on in, the hours of darkness will start to get shorter and daylight hours will start to get longer.

Northern Hemisphere Seasons
Image Credit: Tauʻolunga, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_season.jpg

This change is caused by the Earth’s axial tilt, which is approximately 23.5 degrees to its orbital plane and it is this tilt that is the key factor in creating the seasons of the year. Just now, with the northern hemisphere being tilted farthest away from the Sun, the solar energy falling on us is at its weakest and with this comes the cold days of winter. However, the axial tilt will now gradually move towards the Sun, causing the Sun’s apparent position in the sky to climb higher each day. This results in longer days and an increase in the solar energy falling on us, bringing the gradual transition from winter to spring and then summer.
 
Therefore, the Winter Solstice is a pivotal moment in the Earth's journey around the Sun. One that shapes the rhythm of the seasons and the cyclical nature of the year and while the change in daylight length immediately after the solstice is subtle, it does become more pronounced as the weeks pass by and I find that this gradual progression reminds me that there are brighter days to come.
 
Reflecting on this, I think that it is no surprise that many cultures saw the Winter Solstice as symbolising the triumph of light over darkness. In fact, ancient Celtic solstice celebrations would involve the lighting of fires and candles to both honour the returning Sun and to banish the long, cold nights.
 
In ancient Scotland, the alignment of certain Neolithic sites with the Winter Solstice Sun demonstrates the deep connection the ancient Celts had with this astronomical event. For instance, the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis and other standing stones are thought to have been used for rituals and ceremonies tied to the solstice.
 
However, Maeshowe, a Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave on Orkney, holds a profound connection to Winter Solstice traditions, reflecting the ancient peoples' deep understanding of astronomy and their reverence for the cycles of nature.

Its most striking feature is its precise alignment with the Winter Solstice. The long, narrow passage leading into the central chamber is designed so that, at sunset on the Solstice, the fading sunlight streams through the passage and illuminates the interior of the cairn. This alignment underscores the significance of the Winter Solstice as a time of renewal and rebirth, when the Sun begins its gradual return after the year’s darkest day.
 
So, while the sight of later morning sunrises and mid-afternoon sunsets at this time of the year can leave you with a sense of wonder, it is the gradual realisation that the days are lengthening which impacts me most, because with this comes the promise of possibilities—a chance to spend more time outdoors, to reconnect with nature and to feel the Sun's presence for a little longer each day.

Frosted and Still I
A mid-afternoon winter sunset over Loch Shiel, Acharacle, Ardnamurchan