Celebrating the Winter Solstice

[Jeff Wrangler]

So I wonder who it was that discovered that the solstices and equinoxes were on the (roughly/approximately) 21st day of their respective months and not on the 25th day?

And when was this discovery made and implemented?

I think I may have found a partial answer to my questions.

Late last night when I should have been preparing for bed I ended up reading Wikipedia articles on the winter solstice, the Gregorian calendar, the Julian calendar, and the influential Roman writer Pliny.

Because it was so late, I unfortunately did not copy any urls, but I did learn that Pliny calculated the winter solstice to be December 25, when the sun entered the 8th degree of Capricorn. What I did not note is what is the 8th degree of Capricorn and why it was significant. I also didn't pick up on what influence Pliny may have had on solstice celebrations--or who figured out the solstice is December 21.

Pliny lived in the first century. He died trying to rescue people from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (AD 79).

[Front-Ranger]

There are quite a few astronomical maps showing the solstices, etc. that predate Pliny. One is Newgrange in Ireland and another is Maeshowe in Scotland, both of which date to the 3rd millennium BC. Other sites where ancient peoples recorded celestial goings-on were in Babylon, Egypt, and Mesoamerica, and ancient Indian Vedic writings discuss the topic. Check out this Wikipedia page on archaeoastronomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy

I have been to Maeshowe and several sites in Southwestern U.S. including Aztec Ruins, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Hovenweep. The types of astronomical calendars and maps range from standing stones and cave paintings to petroglyphs, kivas, medicine wheels, and structures.

[serious crayons]

So I wonder who it was that discovered that the solstices and equinoxes were on the (roughly/approximately) 21st day of their respective months and not on the 25th day?

And when was this discovery made and implemented?

I was going to say they could almost do it without special equipment, and just keep track of times -- if they had a clock that counts by the minute. But then again, there are those ancient places like Stonehenge where the timing and light that would have been measured really precisely.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Hello tforster!  Good to see ya!!!

Today is Imbolc.

It's also the feast day of St. Brigid of Kildare, who may have begun as a pagan goddess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid_of_Kildare

[CellarDweller]

Winter Solstice is upon us!

[Front-Ranger]

Solstice greetings, friend, and to you all. The New Moon was yesterday, and now we enter the 13th month, if you're living by the moon. This is the time to reflect on the year past, rest and do as little as possible. First of all I have a bunch of food to cook and bake. I'm going to make extra so that I don't have to cook much the rest of the month.

Finally, it's too late to order presents to be delivered so I've had to brave the crowds for those last-minute final presents. I only have to buy stocking stuffers at this point but have had to go store-to-store hunting down a small bottle of Cholulla, jelly beans, Frozen merch, cool gloves ear buds, etc. The stores are chock full of stuff, but nothing that's on my list. 

[serious crayons]

Finally, it's too late to order presents to be delivered

Thanks for the reminder! I bought two biographies (Susan Cheever's biography of her father, John Cheever, and Margaret Atwood's biography or memoir or whatever it is) for my stepmother because I think that's her favorite kind of book and I'm sure she likes those authors.

But they were just sitting in my apartment.

That's because she usually invites me out for lunch around Christmas and I figured I'd give them to her in person. But I haven't heard from her. So I just went to Amazon and ordered two more of the same books, but had these sent directly to her condo. They'll arrive by Dec. 24, according to the site. Meanwhile, I've only recently discovered how easy it is to return things to Amazon by just taking them to Whole Foods and handing them to a person behind a counter. But I may keep the extra Atwood for myself.

To anyone who thinks it supports Trump to order things from Amazon, I've made peace with my membership for various reasons. I did cancel my subscription to the Washington Post, but mainly because I had to cut down my subscriptions and I didn't read it as often as I do the NYT.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I lit a couple of candles. I would have liked to light them at sunset, but, unfortunately, sunset got away from me, so I was a bit late.