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PeterH

1180 posts

Re: winter solstice

Dec 02, 2005, 12:33

Not sure if you can be that precise. The whole of January and December was the super-month of "Giuli" ie Yule in the Anglo-Saxon calendar. New Year was celebrated on the 25th December by Anglo-Saxon Christians and that is presumed to be a continuation from the pre-Christian calendar.

Seems to me that the winter solstice was the turning point and it began the new year as the days began to lengthen. Moot point as to how accurately the actual solstice was measured and a few days out may have had no significance at all to the celebrants. The early Christians were much more concerned about calculating the date of Easter. That took over the spring festival of Eostre, but significantly the phase of the moon was all important - as it still is of course. But why? Echo of an old moon ritual is still with us perhaps.

In reply to:
Re: winter solstice (Steve Gray)

Topic Outline:

winter solstice – olly, Dec 01, 2005, 11:45


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