WINTER SOLSTICES

      Winter solstices, around December 22 nd in the northern hemisphere, note the end of one biological year and the start of the next one; a biological New Years.  Winter solstices are the time of ancient rituals and praying by people in northern hemisphere to "coax" the sun back north, bringing spring and another growing season with it.  They are the time to celebrate that winter is already half gone, daylight won't get any shorter per day and the sun will soon start to come north, bringing warmer days and increased warmth that will stir plant and animal life into growth and reproduction.    

     Each winter solstice is the middle of biological winter in the northern hemisphere, and the time of the shortest amount of daylight per day.  Daylight each succeeding day gets ever shorter as time proceeds toward the solstice, and ever longer per day after the solstice.   

     By the middle of January, one can see that daylight in the evenings of the northern hemisphere is getting longer each succeeding day.  Wildlife in the American Mid-Atlantic States also notices that increase in daylight per day.  By mid-February the hormones of many Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans and a variety of ducks are stirred and those birds become restless and eager to start the first leg of their migrations north to nest.  They don't get far because ice and snow farther north temporarily extinguishes their fires of passion.

     By early March, rivers of purple grackles and red-winged blackbirds pour north from southern wintering grounds.  Flowers on pussy willows, silver maple trees and crocuses are already in bloom.  And male mourning doves, northern cardinals, tufted titmice, song sparrows and house finches are already singing in suburban areas and woodlots.

     Spring happenings occur so fast in the Mid-Atlantic States in April that one can't experience it all.  I put much of my attention into beautifully blooming native woodland wildflowers and the ancient chorusing of male spring peeper frogs and American toads, calling females of their kinds to shallow ponds to spawn. 

     By late-April and into early May, leaves on deciduous trees grow almost overnight in the Middle Atlantic States and neotropical birds flood through here to their nesting areas.  Garden plants are growing and flowers are blooming seemingly most everywhere.

     June 22nd is the middle of the biological year, and the northern summer.  There are six months between the two solstices.  At that time, the sun is as "far north" as it's going to get and life is bursting forth.

     September 22nd marks the middle of autumn in the northern hemisphere, biologically speaking, and the climax of much growth here.  Now it's time to prepare for the dormancy of winter, the time of rest, and recuperation of resources.

     Biologically, winter starts around the middle of November and enters its mid-point on December 21st, biological New Year's Eve.  And the next day is biological New Year's Day.  All this happens because Earth tilts on its axis as it sweeps around the sun time after time after time.  The northern hemisphere tilting toward the sun causes more direct sunlight and summer, but tilting away causes more slanted sunlight and winter.  And most of life in the higher latitudes has adapted to those seasons caused by Earth tilting on its axis      

     

      

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