~Off Topic Thread~

[StillThePrettiest 3]

bloody yanks, always gotta be different

[*julez* 124]

You guys just keep trying to hang onto the past! Time to conform. When in Rome and all that....

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Winter sux. I thought this was California??? This looks like bloody Upper Holloway to me, sans a warm pub for me to go get snug in.

[*julez* 124]

I'm having a tough time feeling bad about your weather, guys. It seems like not that long ago you were all missing the rain and complaining that you wanted to be able to wear sweaters. Its bloody cold and awful here and will be until the end of April.

[no name 1]

Learn something new every day!

While the solstice is typically observed for a 24-hour period, the actual event lasts only one second. At the moment of winter’s solstice, the Sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane and shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn(for the northern hemisphere). The word "solstice" comes from the Latin “sol” – meaning sun – and “sistere” – meaning to stand still. Upon the winter solstice, the sun appears at its lowest in the sky, and its noontime elevation seems to stay the same for several days before and after this day. The Sun’s gradual decrease in the sky reverses upon the winter solstice, marking what many cultures believe to be a “rebirth” of the Sun as the hours of daylight become longer.

Depending on what region of the world you are in, the winter solstice is thought to signal either the beginning or the middle of winter. Celtic cultures mark the start of winter on November 1 (All Hallows or Samhaim) and its end on Candlemas (February 1^st or 2^nd). Other European cultures observe midwinter celebrations the night of December 24. Pacific Islanders have marked midwinter by the occurrence of the full moon. East Asian countries define their seasons by solar terms. North American and Jewish cultures recognize the winter solstice as marking the beginning of winter.

The winter solstice has been celebrated since ancient times. Throughout the centuries, the winter solstice has been celebrated with family gatherings, festivals, singing, dancing, and the burning of fires throughout this longest night of the year. This year, the winter solstice occurs precisely at 7:04 am on December 21. Look into the sky the night of the solstice, and you will see the three stars of Orion’s Belt aligned with the Sirius, the brightest star in the eastern sky, which points to where the Sun will rise in the morning.

link

[StillThePrettiest 3]

When in Rome and all that....

if I was in Rome you wouldn't hear a peep out of me

[*julez* 124]

When in Rome and all that....

if I was in Rome you wouldn't hear a peep out of me

I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist commenting on that cliche!

[no name 1]

I'm having a tough time feeling bad about your weather, guys. It seems like not that long ago you were all missing the rain and complaining that you wanted to be able to wear sweaters. Its bloody cold and awful here and will be until the end of April.

You can always move!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Join the SoCal crowd julez! One of us, one of us...

[weedebz 0]

wish I hadn't complaind at the 4F yesterday...-10F this morning when I was out walking the pooches as work.!!!!

[Laura+Tom 2]

That's waaaaay to cold for my liking. I was moaning about -1c today lol.

[English Muffin 59]

It's been a beautiful day in Charlotte today. When I walked out of work it was 67F.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

It's been a beautiful day in Charlotte today. When I walked out of work it was 67F.

Shut up, you. We don't need you "good weather" types round these parts.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist commenting on that cliche!

I wasn't commenting on the cliché, just saying that I'd INFINITELY prefer Rome to Houston

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

Yes yes yes, Winter solstice marks the middle of winter, not the beginning. It's when the suns the most far away, and therefore it's most wintery (in the northern hemisphere at least). And when all the light lines up and makes that great shaft down the corridor in Newgrange! I miss home, can you tell?

it's funny about the cold and the rain, i wouldn't go so far as to say that I like it, but there is something satisfyingly familiar about it, and particularly about wearing jackets and scarves and wrapping up. I feel much more comfortable in my chunky warm clothes than I do in my light sunny clothes.

Did you guys get snow in Houston, StP?