h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's the 19th of December. Already the evenings are getting brighter, since we passed the turning point of 12th December. And in another few days we'll be past the middle of winter. There were traces of snow this morning in parts of Dublin, but I'm hopeful that we won't get any this winter.

I believe Christmas was chosen to be 25th December because it is the first day that you can notice that the days are starting to get longer again - the return of the Sun God. In the days before electric light, this was so important, and even now people feel an awful lot better when there's sunshine.

(If the story of Christ's birth in the Bible is to be believed, then he was born in summer, because there were shepherds abiding in the fields. They don't abide in the fields in the winter, even in Israel.)

Less than a week to Christmas now, I still have a few presents to buy. I'll call into the nice food shop today and get something.

Why do the evenings begin to get brighter before the shortest day?

Something to do with the wandering noon - A3239796?


Geggs

Thanks for that! You learn something every day in this place

There must be a solid connection with having sunshine, and biological things changing in the body, to make us feel better... I mean, give my lack of sight, I still feel so* much bette,r on days, like today, where here we've got a bright sunshine coming out I'm still procrastinating final Christmas preperations I should* have been baking today, but too It'll be no loss if we miss out on the snow this year, I want to go away for a brief break, in Feb, yes it'll be cold, but with lots of walking, that doesn't matter, but the snow/ice makes it horrible under foot in conjunction with the cold

I regret to say that I'll feel brighter when I stop hearing Christmas carols. I've been pelted with a blizzard of them non-stop for days, over the PA system, the horrible sort sung by pop singers. Even before my first cup of tea of the day, it's Shirley Bassey singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"... and now a baby Michael Jackson's rendition of "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town".

This daughter of a church organist used to love the music of the season. Bah.

Totally with you. I HATE the classic Christmas songs. I boycott businesses, especially restaurants that play Xmas music. It gets in my head and drives me to distraction and keeps me awake at night. I was very upset that the Indian restaurant I go to for lunch sometimes is now playing Xmas music. I thought that would be a safe refuge.