The winter solstice is one of the two times each year that the Sun is at its farthest point from the equator and appears to stand still. It occurs today at 7:04 A.M. EST. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol, or "Sun," and stitium, or "stoppage." The Halcyon Days also occur around this time. According to ancient legend, a grieving wife named Alcyone, or Halcyon, threw herself into the sea upon discovering the drowned body of her beloved husband, Ceyx. The gods took pity on the pair, transforming them into kingfishers with the power to still the stormy seas for 14 days around the time of the winter solstice while they built their nest and hatched their young.
The term "red-letter day" originates with the tradition of marking holy days in a church calendar in red. We use the term here to designate days of special significance in each month -- holidays, astronomical happenings, anniversaries of historic events, and days with memorable folklore attached. Information is drawn from the library of The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Every month you'll find a calendar of these "red-letter days" on the front page of Almanac.com.
Make money for your school, church, or club with the NEW Almanac Fund-raiser program!
Yankee Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444, USA, (603) 563-8111
Copyright ©2009, Yankee Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.
Interactive features developed and maintained by Reinvented Inc.
