Today, in the Northern Hemisphere, is the shortest day of the year.
Well, the actual day still has 24 hours, or 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds — however, the hours of daylight (between official sunrise and sunset) are the least they will be until the next winter solstice.
So I say “Hurrah” for the people who: captured fire and started to use the light, candle and lamp inventors, electric light inventors, and all the clever people who distribute and supply artificial light.
When I was a child, I lived far enough north, that it was common to go to work in the dark and return home in the dark for several weeks. One of my relatives spent a few years even farther north — where daylight lasted two or three hours at this time of year.
On the flip side — this might be a great day to visit any of the great stone circles in England or other solar calendars left for us by prior civilizations.
As for me? I’ll flip on the electric light, ignore the outside world after sunset, and snuggle deep under the covers tonight.
