How will you celebrate it?

[ecogeorge]

The winter solstice is almost upon us -    http://pagancalendar.co.uk/
Will anyone be celebrating it ? if so how ?

I always look forward to this date (no religious tendencies) as I hate the dark winters and look forward to the light evenings of summer.
I find winter depressing (SAD syndrome!) and think we do not give credit to this significant date.
your thoughts!
rgds George.

[camillitech]

I'll celebrate it with a glass of red wine with the wife 

I don't really mind the winter, or at least this part of it, the shorter days allow me to charge my own batteries, the wind and rain the house's. It's after the Christmas and New Year festivities that it really starts to grind me down. The days may be slowly stretching but the sea temperature is plummeting and it won't be as warm as it is now until late May  Same with the ground, any work in soil or drains will start to leave your hands and feet numb with cold now until March at the earliest. It's changing the fecking clocks back that really gets me excited 

Cheers, Paul

[Contadino]

It's almost a natural annual milestone for me. The olive harvest has just ended, it's the solstice, Christmas (in a strongly catholic country it's nigh on impossible even for agnostics not to get drawn in), and New Year.

I take a week off, fire up the stove, put my feet up, and take stock. It's a really good opportunity to see what progress you've made since last year, and plan what to do next year (and having fresh plans is surprisingly motivational in itself.)

[biff]

christmas for us will be quiet and peacefull,
                                 she has done most of the shopping,the roasts and joints are ordered from our local supplier,we are well stocked up on the necessities.this time last year i was in the process of discovering i could not walk more than 40ft.january and febuary were months i would love to forget,but things are looking up and by next spring i should be firing on all four cylinders.
                                                                                          biff

[M]

christmas for us will be quiet and peacefull,
                                 she has done most of the shopping,the roasts and joints are ordered from our local supplier,we are well stocked up on the necessities.this time last year i was in the process of discovering i could not walk more than 40ft.january and febuary were months i would love to forget,but things are looking up and by next spring i should be firing on all four cylinders.
                                                                                          biff

I would have thought you were more of a V8 than a four banger.

All the best.

Mart.

[biff]

im trying to go green mart,
        hence the little  4,,
             happy christmas
                                        biff,

[dhaslam]

The shortest day does move around a bit between the 21st and 23rd December  and in Julius Caeser's day  it was the 25th.  So it seems that tomorrow is the shortest day.   I remember a farmer saying a few years back  that he always thought  the  date was about two days wrong. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice

[Quakered]

Doing the bleeding Christmas shopping!

[desperate]

As an amateur astronomer I think it's a bummer, the nights are getting shorter

Desp

[Cornish Dragon]

Greetings to All.....
Felicitations on the Festival of the Unconquered Sun.....

I share the sentiment  of others here...
I have two way points in my year in rural Kernow and
today is one of them as each day will be getting longer
and brighter and more Sun will fall on my gear...
 
I am off to pick the winter veg and just may be for a
change open a bottle of wine, bit early I know but heck
it has been a busy year......

CU
CD

[clockmanFR]

 

Her indoors, keeps telling me, "the days are getting longer now".

Popping to the CE Church in Paris for Christmas day with my Boy's to ave a good old sing song etc etc, then eat and be merry and fall asleep.  Must remember to double feed the animals. (blasted feed merchant closed on the 16th Dec, opens on the 3 Jan, because of holidays).

They do not celebrate Boxing day here and its a normal working day.

We have our crackers, will dig up the parsnips and carrots and attack the sprouts, roasted spuds, Local provided turkey, and got some English stuffing, and a M&S Crimbo pudding with Euros in. (I put them in).
 The French hate English Crimbo pudding and mince pies, so all we ever see is Cream English, that's Custard, but the French like it wishshy washy, so we jokingly tell them that real custard is like real English tea, the spoon should stand upright on its own.    ,   

I am still working on Gite 2, as her indoors has informed me that her friend with 3 boy's will be staying over New Year, so no pressure then???

A very happy Christmas and tipping into the new year to you all.

[camillitech]

No rest for the wicked CM 

me busy catching up, a spot of road repairs, piglet catching, worming, turbine fixing,  stove cleaning, rum drinking 
etc etc, have a good one 

Paul

[greenhouseparos]

the perfect oppotunity for me to set out a second row of ground mounted panels. as they have to live as close as possible behind the first row (limited space available) the shortest day gives the longest shadows. just need a little sun to cast them.

[biff]

this was a nice sunny day and our new array sent the batteries well into the safe zone,
   shopping almost all done and today i spent a few hours doing the rounds and delivering the seasons greetings.its strange,almost everywhere i went,among my friends and neighbours they offered me our mountain dew,i had to decline,not just because i was driving but also because it might react badly with what i was already taking.
 one port of call,a stone,s throw from the bog hotel,christmas celibrations were well advanced,a camera crew had been over from london the previous week and filmed a wash and sampled a brew. the filming relaxed and musicians appeared and by all accounts the final night(last night) was a beezer of a blow out with two of the most outstanding local fiddle players stealing the show.the crew has returned to london to edit and hopefull the dvd will available in 5 weeks time,,title,,,," the bluestack mountain dew"
 it was good to be home, she was waiting at the door to show me a few parcels which had been delivered and a well wrapped bottle of ,,,,,,,,,, yes,,,,,,,mountain dew,,
                         biff
 

[biff]

a bit of last minute shopping today,everyone seems content and in good christmas spirit but there is a massive swell in anti goverment feelings over the handling of the bankers bailout.
   it is almost as if the population have decided that enough is enough and in 2012 things will be taking a different approach.david cameron did us a favour.
              biff