Nature Net News
December
2006
Solstice Celebrations
“However long the night,
the dawn will break.”
African Proverb
Dear Reader, It’s a night that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The winter solstice – the point at which the day length begins to increase – has been a magical time when people contemplate our relationship with nature. Celebrations enticing the sun, with its warmth and sunlight, to return are great reasons to get outdoors. Create your own solstice commemoration with dance ideas from Eco-Exercise and hand-made candles from this month's Nature Craft. Then get out there and enjoy the season. Plus, fun winter ideas are now available in our cabin-fever-busting Winter Nature Passport. Kathe & Betsy |
Scientists believe Native Americans who lived in Wisconsin's Aztalan community 900 years ago observed the solstice? Some of the pyramid-like structures located at Aztalan (now a State Park you can visit) have notches that allow sunlight to pass through only during the solstice. Make your own discoveries about Aztalan with the School District of Kettle Moraine website.
What to
Do This Month:
Light a candle on December 21st to celebrate the winter solstice and the
gradual lengthening of daylight (until the summer solstice).
Lay out seeds and other treats for the birds in your backyard or community.
Remember to renew your membership at your favorite Nature Net site.
Create your own family solstice observance with ideas from Wisconsin's Circle Sanctuary.
Get out and explore with a Winter Edition of Nature Net's Nature Passport.
Tricks of the Trail for
Parents:
The Light and Dark of Night
You can enjoy the cold and darkness with little ones by choosing your nights carefully. The full moon on December 5th will let you to explore a magical winter landscape by moonlight. And if there’s snow, any available light will be reflected and make the going easier.
Or if you’re looking for the darkest of nights, try a hike during the new moon on December
20th – the longest night of the year!
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Solstice, Science and
Celebrations
It's amazing to learn of ancient cultures who, based on the structures
and clues they've left behind, seemed to know the exact date of the winter
solstice - the time when the receding day length would change to lengthening.
Only with careful observation could they have figured out this date
without the knowledge scientists now have, thanks to so many (relatively)
recent discoveries regarding our solar system and the way it functions.
We all
know the earth rotates around the sun while spinning on its own axis,
creating years and days respectively. However, the rotation of the
earth upon its axis is tilted. Tilted so the north pole constantly
points to the same place in space, namely towards the North Star (though, interestingly,
this was and will
not always be the case). Because of this tilt, the
northern and southern hemispheres receive different amounts of sunlight
throughout the year. During the winter the northern hemisphere
is tilting away from the sun, causing shorter day length, cooler weather and ultimately seasonal change.
And on the winter solstice, we (in the northern hemisphere) experience the
shortest amount of daylight because on this day we face farthest away from
the sun (by 23.5°). For more details on this phenomena
with pictures and videos to demonstrate the multiple forces in action,
visit PhysicalGeography
or Archeoastronomy.
Another fun fact: the earth's orbit around the sun is not quite circular, but elliptical. Amazingly, the day (in 2007) we are closest to the sun is January 3rd. So, the seasonal effect of the earth's tilted axis is stronger than the effect of our actual distance from the sun.
One last thought: though many ancient solstice celebrations are no longer common, some historians consider current-day religious celebrations more closely related to the solstice than one might think.
Eco-Exercise:
Dance as if the Sun Can See
Many solstice celebrations included special dances to lure the sun back to the
earth. If you don’t have a campfire, stand a flashlight on the ground, pointing up. Circling the light, create your own dance that might get the sun’s attention. Stretch high towards the sky and celebrate the season. Will the sun come back? I bet it will!
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Aldo
Leopold Nature Center
All programs at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center are founded
on a single belief: that the land is a complex organism to be loved, cared
for, studied, and understood. Aldo Leopold advocated a harmonious
relationship between humans and other natural members of the earth as a
way to achieve land health. When we extend our thinking beyond humans to
include soil, water, plants, and other animals, we develop a personal land
ethic where we are more likely to continually re-examine our relationship
to the land. Walking trails at the Monona campus are open to the
public from sun-up to sundown. While you’re there, check out drop-in programs, including the Leopold
Exhibit, "Aldo Leopold as a Boy: Exploring the Mysteries of the
Land", the Family Backpack Program or the Leopold Interpretive Trail. This award-winning trail
lead visitors through examples of native Wisconsin habitats, with easy
to understand explanations and questions that Aldo
Leopold might have asked you, had he been standing next to you on the
trail!
You may want to celebrate
the winter solstice at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center on
Thursday, December 21 at 7pm. Enjoy a night hike, seasonal readings
and cocoa by the campfire.
Hours:
Trails are open dawn to dusk everyday.
Nature Center building open 9am-4pm Monday through Friday.
Rolled Bees Wax Candles
Always a symbol of light and the return of the sun's rays
after the solstice, candles play an important role in wintertime
celebrations. Make your own hand-rolled candles from bees wax and
light your way through the dark winter nights.
Wax
sheets pressed to imitate honeycomb and wick are available in most craft
stores.
Starting with one 8" by 16" sheet of wax, lay a 9" piece of
wick along the short end, leaving a bit of wick sticking out on each
side. Fold up a 1/8 inch piece of wax to create a neat, straight
channel for the wick. Press down hard (with your thumb nail) to make
sure the wax is tight around the wick. Now, carefully and gently, roll the
wax as you would a roll of wrapping paper. Keep the edges even as
you work. Gently press the final edge of the wax into the side of
the candle. Pick the best end to keep the wick long and trim the
other. If the bottom of your candle is uneven, warm a pie plate in
the oven and then, using caution, press it against the hot metal to melt a
smooth surface.
If you would like a wider candle, start with thicker wick and after
rolling your first sheet of wax, butt a second sheet to it's edge and continue
rolling.
For pictures of the process and more details, see Dave Fisher's article.
Suggested Reading:"The Winter Solstice" by Ellen Jackson (Ages 4-8)
"Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen (Ages 4-8)
"The Night Eater" by Ana Juan (Ages 4-8)
"The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice" by Wendy Pfeffer (Ages 4-8)
"Iliana, A Winter Solstice Tale" by Walter Fordham (Ages 4-8)
"While the Bear Sleeps: Winter Tales and Traditions" by Caitlin Matthews (Ages 9-12)
"The Winter Solstice: The Sacred Traditions of Christmas" by John Matthews (Ages: adult)
