An interesting bit of info about today's day length...Afternoons are getting longer.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stuart G]

In the last few days, the sunset times have increased by about 5 minutes.. The afternoon is longer than it was a few days ago....This is not about the sunrise, it is about sunset...The afternoons are getting a little longer, but it will take some time to notice...

Now...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!

[orleans]

1. and thanks for pointing that out n/t

[rurallib]

2. Actually I think if you look at a chart the sunset started getting later on Dec. 13

while the sunrise continued to get later also. Hence - the shortest day lands on Dec.20.

Dec.13 is Santa Lucia Day (Lucia from latin lux meaning light). That is the day the sun starts going down later and later.

Sunrises continue to get later clear until Jan. 6th - which is the feast of the three kings in Catholicism or the 12th night in British lore.

So we have many "holy" days or feast days etc. based around the the sun's reappearance.

The one I like the best that I have recently become aware of is the feast of the longest night on Dec.21. A friend of mine from Iran told me about their customs on this day and it sounds like a hoot.

Remember - Axial tilt is the reason for the season

[Stuart G]

3. Thank You for clarification...at least we are moving in the right direction..

As far as the afternoons are concerned. Today in my part of the Midwest, northern Illinois, we had plenty of sun, which was not predicted. Who knows what the winter will be? I just hope it isn't too bad. Last one was rough...best holiday wishes to everyone

[rurallib]

4. there are those among us who like it dark abd cold

like me. Don't ask me why, I just do.
I hate summer with the bugs and the heat and the pollen.........

[rurallib]

5. One other thing - this time of year I often think of all those ancients

who spent hours and days tracking the stars and the heavens for signs that the sun was either returning or going away for good.
They needed some way to know what would happen when. Around this grew many myths and stories to explain the happenings. Around those myths grew religions. At least that is what I figure. Thus religion would have been a way to explain and understand what they couldn't understand - in a way the first crack at science.

But like so many things, those with power understood that they could keep power if they kept the masses ignorant of explainable things. Thus they wove the religion into their power structure and - well the rest is history

[sharp_stick]

6. I used this site to explain it to my kids

I'd never noticed it before and I couldn't figure out why the sunrise/sunset didn't change equally. I really couldn't believe that one of the kids figured out the afternoon was longer last week.

http://earthsky.org/earth/everything-you-need-to-know-december-solstice#why

[magical thyme]

7. then why was it pitch black at 4:16 here in Maine yesterday?

garumpgh!!!!! I swear this far north the days continue to seem shorter for at least another month.