Yesterday’s winter solstice marked the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the North Pole is tilted the farthest away from the sun.
From prehistoric times through the present, the solstice has been celebrated with festivals and rituals marking the beginning of winter. It also marks, according to ancient tradition, the beginning of the famine months, when food stores ran out before planting could begin in the spring. (Beer and wine was another matter, as the ancients were careful to time fermentation to ensure there was plenty on hand no matter the weather.)
While it’s not a stretch to think of the term ‘famine months’ as a particularly 2020 turn of phrase, this year’s winter solstice does offer one really cool thing that the last eight centuries have not: the Great Conjunction.
On December 21, the two largest planets in our solar system – Jupiter and Saturn – nearly overlapped in the southwestern night sky. As an astronomical event, this was merely coincidence based on the tilt of the Earth and each of the planet’s orbits.
But the fact that it hasn’t happened at night in almost 800 years, and the last time it happened at all was 13 years after Galileo built his first telescope some 400 years ago? Well, that seems like a pretty amazing parting gift from 2020.
While the main event is over, you can still catch a glimpse of the two planets in tonight’s sky. And while you’re outside star-gazing, maybe consider lighting a solstice fire in that outdoor fire pit you bought and raising a glass to the people who came before.
For a 2020 twist, you can fill your neighborhood with the wonderful smell of 11 herbs and spices from the KFC® Limited-Edition Firelog, a bargain at Walmart for just $9.88. It’s solstice-appropriate any time of year.