December Solstice

 

December is here--Counting the days on the Advent calendars.  Some people put up  holiday lights and decorations over the weekend, when the highs on Sunday reached the mid-50's. There was much leaf-raking and leaf-blowing, too. The  trees are almost bare now.

Winter is here. Meteorlogical winter began on December 1. What we call meteorological winter begins at the December solstice on December 21.  Ideally, with some snow for Christmas.

But for those who use the really old calendar, the Celtic or pagan calendar, it's been winter since the first of November, and the December solstice marks the point of midwinter.  After the solstice, we gain a little more daylight each day. 

Sunday marked the earliest sunset of the year in Chicago, around 4:21 p.m.  Monday’s sunset will be roughly one second later. Not much, but it's a start!

You can read more about the December solstice from EarthSky, here.