|
|
Local News
Just as practitioners of earth-based religions have celebrated since ancient times, Jackson pauses each winter solstice to acknowledge the equal length of day and night. It's when Jackson thanks the sun for its returning rays and for its promise that light will prevail and another life-summer will eventually follow.
Thursday, though, winter solstice to Jackson and other practitioners of the NeoPagan faith of Wicca, the holiday means something more metaphoric. "Now we celebrate the stages of life, the return of hope." The resident of rural Winterhaven said she planned to celebrate winter solstice often referred to as Yule by casting a ritual circle in her backyard, centering the activity around a holly-ringed altar-fire. But winter solstice doesn't equate to a holiday for most Americans. Instead, the often-overlooked day on the calendar is simply the astronomy-related event that marks the sun reaching its lowest point in the sky. This year the winter solstice is today, Dec. 21, but that's not always the case. "Because of leap year, it varies a day or so," explained Paul Koblas, professor of astronomy and physics at Arizona Western College. "This is when the sun is as furthest south in our daily sky. During summer solstice, it's at its highest, a difference of roughly 50 degrees. That's a major change." Koblas added that while winter solstice may mark the return of more daylight, it also marks another important point on the calendar the beginning of winter. "That is just as the vernal equinox marks the first day of spring when, just like the Spanish word verde, everything gets green again." The astronomy professor stressed that humanity owes a great deal to the winter solstice, too, but not for any spiritual reasons. Instead, knowing how to pinpoint winter solstice has for centuries meant basic survival for humanity. "It's very important to have your calendar right, and there are four markers for doing that: summer solstice and winter solstice, autumnal equinox and vernal equinox," Koblas explained. "If your calendar is right, you know when to plant the crops so they can mature and give you food." He added that Christianity through history has also relied strongly on astronomy and its benefits in calendar formulation. That's because a more precise calendar could mean the difference between being a day or two late in observing an important religious holiday or getting just the right day. "The Vatican has its own observatory there and they even own one right here in Arizona," Koblas said. The professor pointed out, too, that Christmas' placement on the calendar may even owe a bit of thanks to winter solstice. He explained that in his studies, it's been his belief that early Christians chose this time of year to celebrate the birth of Christ the son because the Romans were busy celebrated their solar holidays the sun. "The Romans would be having party after party, having just a great time and Christians found they could hold their celebrations in safety and peace," Koblas said. "Of course, I wasn't there, but it sounds very reasonable to me." Yuma's top Catholic leader, Monsignor Richard O'Keeffe, said he acknowledges that humans of all beliefs have often seen this time of year as a season to celebrate rebirth. "It indicates life and death," O'Keeffe said. "Things die on the ground and shoot forth again in spring." But as far as winter solstice goes, the religious leader says it's all only a matter of poetry not religion. He stressed that the real sense of rebirth felt by humanity is the birth of Jesus Christ. To O'Keeffe Christmas is the true holiday, where people should be turning their attention. "All the focus should be on Christmas. To me that's the problem with America right now winter break. You go into the stores and it's Happy holidays, the monsignor said. "They're trying to take God out of public life. I don't think winter solstice is anything but a copout for people, everyone wanting to be politically correct and not wanting to offend anyone. It's about Christmas and that's it." Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.  |
|
