2008 Winter Solstice Ritual

Winter Solstice 2008 will take place at 4:04 am PST, 12:04 GMT on December 21, 2008. This is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and from now on the Solar power gets longer and stronger, a welcome relief for those of us who need lots of sun for our equally sunny disposition.

The next Winter Solstice begins on December 21, 2009 17:55 GMT. Since we live in California and the ritual begins 12 hours prior to the start of the Solstice, we begin with the ritual December 20, 2009 5:55 PM PST December 21, 2009 05:55 GMT.

A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the earth as it is most focused on or away from the Sun, allowing the Sun to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sisters, because at the solstices, the sun stands still in declination, that is to say that the apparent movement north or south comes to a halt.

From culture to culture, the winter solstice is widely recognized as a time of rebirth, with rituals, celebrations, festivals, and many traditions practiced in the days around the solstice. The Extreme of Winter or Winter Solstice Festival is celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and other Asian cultures.

The start of the winter festival is traced to yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony. With the approaching longer daylight hours, an increase of the positive energy flows in.If you in the southern hemisphere, happy summer solstice! If this in the northern hemisphere, winter solstice happy 2008 to you.

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