By Jonathan Bert
The Extreme Moderate
December 23, 2008
Winter is rarely a pleasant experience here in Wisconsin. This one is starting out terribly. It’s bad through the whole country, so it’s extra ugly here. The North Pole is getting warmer because it is sending it’s cold to Cheddarland.
The good news is that the Sun is coming back north! Last Sunday, December 21st, was the solstice, the Earth angled away from the Sun as far as it goes, and is now angling back. It will be a while before we see or feel a difference, but it is a reason for celebration. Historians contend that this event has been celebrated ever since the cave people first figured it out.
Some early societies considered the Sun a deity. You wouldn’t dare mention to them that it is just one of a zillion stars, and a rather puny one at that. It wasn’t that long ago, relatively speaking, that people were imprisoned or even executed for uttering such blasphemy. But it is my Sun, puny as it is, and I love it, and I am delighted that it is now headed home to me.
Apparently many of the holidays and holy days this time of year are linked to the solstice, whether anybody wants to admit it or not. These holidays are beautiful, and give cheer at a time when cheer is hard to find. I not only enjoy nativity scenes, Christmas lights, and New Years parties, but also Menorahs and other “decorations” of all the cultures and religions in this country. Atheists, instead of trying to ban all of these good times, should just figure out how to join the party! People that belong to religions that don’t allow a good party still have to be somewhat happy that light and warmth are returning; and if they don’t want anybody to whoop and holler about it, well maybe these folks should get a life.
A nasty winter is the last thing our struggling economy needs. Snow and ice are literally paralyzing. Heat sucks up a lot of consumer and business dollars, with a big portion of the money going overseas. Construction slows through most of the country, as does home sales, car sales, etc. It does help industries that provide goods and services that help us survive, and even attempt to enjoy, this mess, but not enough to offset the disaster it inflicts on everybody else. Overall, winter sucks!
Patience. In just a few months our toes will defrost. The butter on the counter will be softer than the butter in the ‘fridge. Skating will move indoors, and fishermen will no longer be able to walk on the water, and will start using boats. Spring and summer will return, bringing long days and warm nights. With a little luck they might bring some prosperity.
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2 comments:
When I attended graduate school in Michigan for three years, we had a joke: Folks should find a boyfriend or girlfriend before the first snow, typically around Thanksgiving, because the snow would be on the ground until roughly Easter, and if you didn't, you would spend the winter alone.
Spent time in Milwaukee in the winter, along with Minnesota. Beautiful part of the world, just difficult to navigate at times. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Don't know why I missed this a week ago.... old age, I suspect.
The harshest part of winter always seemed, to me, to come after the solstice. Therefore, I considered the Solstice celebrations to be a bolstering of the body (the feasts)and a strengthening of the will to get through it (the spiritual rites).
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