Winter solstice marks rebirth of light brightening way for all

SIR,

Saturday’s winter solstice is the day of least daylight in the calendar year. Astronomers maintain it marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. In meteorology, winter begins earlier, spanning December, January and February. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is that daylight gradually increases until the summer solstice in June.

Although winter is the dormant season of darkness and cold, the winter solstice marks the ‘turning of the sun’ and the days getting longer. Celebrations of returning light are common in history, with festivals and holidays around the time of the winter solstice. Many pagan societies held a 12-day festival at winter solstice to celebrate the rebirth of the sun god. Fires were lit to symbolise the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning sun.

Nowadays, Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Day. We decorate our homes and neighbourhoods with lights and stars to welcome the birth of the ‘true light of the world’.

Similar to the old 12-day pagan festivals celebrating the rebirth of the sun god at winter solstice, Christians celebrate the 12 days of Christmas to welcome the birth of Christ.

The rebirth of light will brighten the way for people of all religions and none during this festive season. The light will shine brighter if those of us who have more than enough share a little with the needy this Christmas, especially with the 4,500 homeless children without an address to put on their letters to Santa Claus, Sincerely,

Billy Ryle,

Spa,

Tralee