Today is the day the Winter Solstice occurs. Oh happy day! From this point on the days will be gradually getting longer and brighter. For those of us who suffer from the winter blues and/or Seasonal Attitude Disorder (SAD), today is a big day. It means there is light at the end of tunnel, so to speak.
This day was a big day to pagan Europeans as well. They used to hold lavish ceremonies welcoming the return of the life-giving sun. These celebrations were such a big deal that Pope Julius I declared December 25th to be the official date of the Nativity as a way to co-opt the pagan festivals (which was actually pretty smart on his part; tying the rebirth of the sun to the Birth of the Son).
Of course, with the coming of the solstice, it is now officially winter and the coldest days of the year are still ahead. Plus, it will be months before the longer days really become noticeable. I find that for me the end of the holiday season and the start of the New Year is when my winter blues make their annual return (see here).
I’ve decided to be a little more proactive this year in managing my winter blues, and I’ve done the following to help mitigate them:
- I finally bought a therapy light. These are lights that put out 10,000 lux to simulate a spring sunrise. I use mine as soon as I wake up for 25-30 minutes every day. I started on the first day of autumn, even though I don’t usually get the blues until January. I figure it’s better to get on top of the situation rather than waiting until the problem arises.
- Purchased a warm-mist humidifier for the bedroom. How does a humidifier help with winter blues you ask? Simple, I run it while Mrs. Vintage and I sleep and it keeps the room around 40% humidity, which helps with keep my sinuses clear, which helps me sleep more soundly, and sleeping more soundly is very good for one’s mental health.
- I am exercising much more consistently this year. Strength training and using the elliptical machines and stationary bicycles at the gym on a regularly basis. I find taking the doggies for a walk several times a week to be the best activity of all, because it gets us out of the house and into the (albeit weak) sunshine.
Now some fun facts about winter solstice:
- The solstice is actually a specific moment, not a day. The solstice occurs in the Denver metro area at 3:23 p.m mountain standard time.
- The word solstice is derived from the Latin solstitium, and essentially means “sun stands still”. In other words, at the solstice the sun stands still for a moment then begins to move in the opposite direction.
- Today is the first astronomical day of Winter. The first meteorological day of Winter is December 1st. This is because the three coldest months of the year are from December to February.
- While the days will now start getting longer, where I live the sun has actually been setting later in the evening for little over a week; and will continue rising later in the morning until sometime in early January, when it will finally begin to rise earlier.
Finally, in a mere six weeks it will be Groundhog Day. This day marks the halfway point of Winter, regardless if the rodent sees his shadow or not. And just a couple of weeks after that occurs another indicator of Old Man Winter’s slackening grip: the Colorado Rockies report to Spring Training.
So take heart all those who toil in wintry climes; for Spring will be here soon.
