Jack the green

The image in this week’s blog is the face of the ancient, pre-Christian, Celtic symbol for the Winter Solstice.  Jack’s face is made up of all the plants that remain green throughout the winter.

On December 21st there will be about 8 hours 23 minutes of sunlight.  The hours of sunlight vary by your location.  The next day you can expect about 2 minutes 8 seconds more sunlight every day through the summer solstice in June.

I don’t understand why the emphasis in our culture is on the darkness of the winter solstice.  The ancients celebrated with the knowledge that the next day is the rebirth of the sun and Jack the Green brings the promise of warmth and the gift of life sustaining light.

It is sad that for most of us today the solstice is just a date on a calendar with no celebration of its meaning.  It was important in an agrarian culture but it has been many years since the solstice was meaningful and relevant it our individual lives.
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We should return to honor ancient customs and celebrate Jack the Green.  I for one will raise a glass of whiskey to honor his arrival on December 21st.