Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Holidays, Miscellaneous

Today is the Winter Solstice (21 December 2025)

Leave a comment

The Winter Solstice occurs between December 20-23 with the sun directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn. This results in the North Pole being tilted the furthest away making it the shortest day of the year followed by the longest night. The further north you live during winter means less daylight during the winter. Some areas in Alaska or Scandinavia can be nearly dark or near dark during this period. By contrast, those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate the Summer Solstice, as it marks the beginning of summer. Which is why while people shiver in Philadelphia and New York for Christmas but down in Australia, Christmas is celebrated outdoors with a barbeque.

For the exact time of the Winter Solstice where you are, please go to https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html.

Winter Landscape
George Hodan
Publicdomainpictures.net

Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as it marked an important time in the agricultural cycle. By this time all crops and livestock had been prepared for winter. Important foodstuffs were stored for the months when virtually nothing grew. Wine and beer, which had been fermenting during the year, was ready. Cattle and pigs would often be killed at the start of winter so they would not have to be fed during this time. The early months of winter were tough in many places and often called the “famine months” since little food was to be found. Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as a renewal or that the year was reborn. For out of the seeming withdrawal of the sun, it would come back just as strong and powerful as before. Thus, the Winter Solstice was seen by many as the start of a new year such as the old Roman Feast of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) which happened around the 25th of December.

Sources

———. “Winter Solstice – Date, Definition & Traditions | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 28, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/winter-solstice.

“Winter Solstice.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified December 20, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/science/winter-solstice.

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2025.” Almanac.Com. Last modified December 15, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice.

Donvito, Tina. “15 Fascinating Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World.” Reader’s Digest, August 6, 2025. https://www.rd.com/list/winter-solstice-traditions/.

Osen, Frode. “Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun in Roman Religion – Roman Empire.” Roman Empire – for Those Thinking About the Roman Empire. Last modified November 23, 2023. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://romanempirehistory.com/roman-gods/sol-invictus/.

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to December!

Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 12, December
circa 1440
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

December is the 12th month on the Gregorian calendar. The name derives from the Latin word decem, which means ten. It originally was the tenth and final month of the year on the old Roman calendar which began in March. With the adoption of the Julian calendar, January and February were added but the name remained. Anglo-Saxons used the word Yule for December-January but that now has been changed to mean December and Christmas season.

The December solstice is known as the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is the Summer Solstice in the southern. The solstice generally takes place around 21 -22 December and is the shortest day of the year in the north (the reverse in the south). Depending on how far north you are, sunlight may only be a few hours a day. And in some places, it is either dark or twilight for winter. Many old festivals took place to commemorate this event (and some still do to this day). For Christians, the first four weeks before Christmas is Advent in which they prepare for the birth of Jesus on 25 December. Jews celebrate Chanukah/Hanukkah, the 8-day Festival of Lights in December as well.

The first full moon of December is often called the Cold Moon in some places but has many other names as well depending on the culture and people that observed and followed the lunar schedule. The Geminid Meteor Shower takes place on 13-14 December. The Ursid Meteor Shower is on 22-23 December.

Sources

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The Month of December 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified November 21, 2025. Accessed November 30, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-of-december-holidays-facts-folklore.

Kennedy, Lesley  “The Surprising History of December,” HISTORY, last modified November 24, 2025, accessed November 30, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/december-month-history-facts.

“The Month of December.” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/december.html.

Miscellaneous, Titanic

Welcome To November

Le Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry-November
Jean Colombe (1430–1493)
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

November is the eleventh month and the last month of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It is late spring in the Southern Hemisphere. November comes from the Latin novem meaning nine, and on the old Roman calendar (which had no January or February), it was the ninth month. When the Julian calendar was adopted, the name remained the same although it was now the eleventh month. The Gregorian calendar kept the same name as well. Daylight Saving Time usually ends by November.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither …
–Robert Frost (1874–1963)

The Leonid Meteor Shower takes place around November 17-18. The first full moon of November is called the Beaver Moon in the U.S. This time coincides with when beavers build their dams before retiring to their lodges in cooler climates. Also in Colonial America, beaver traps were set up before swamps froze. Farmers have completed their harvests by this time, and in the old days, preparation for winter would begin by canning fruits and vegetables. Produce specific to fall and winter would also make a full appearance by this time.

There is a lot of weather folklore about November as well. Over at the Old Farmers Almanac, they list the following:

  • If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, there’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck.
  • November take flail; let ships no more sail.
  • If trees show buds in November, the winter will last until May.
  • There is no better month in the year to cut wood than November.
  • Ice in November brings mud in December.

There are two major holidays in the United States. The first is Veterans Day (Remembrance Day/Poppy Day in the UK) on November 11. It was originally a holiday to commemorate those who served in World War I and later changed to honor all who served in war and peace. The other is Thanksgiving, created as a day to give thanks for our country. It always falls on the fourth Thursday in November.

For More Information

“The Month of November,” accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/november.html.

Bainbridge, Carol. “Holidays and Observances in November.” The Spruce, October 18, 2022. https://www.thespruce.com/special-days-and-observances-in-november-1448892.

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The Month of November 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/november-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“November,” Grokipedia, last modified October 27, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://grokipedia.com/page/November.

Miscellaneous

Welcome to October

October, meaning eight in Latin, is the 10th month in Julian and Gregorian calendars. Originally it was the eighth month under the old Roman calendar and retains its name. The month begins the full transition to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere but spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

Trauger’s Farm,Bucks County,Pennsylvania(October 2006)
Photo:Frenchtowner(Wikipedia)

Harvests are underway in October, and seasonal produce appears in the grocery stores. Apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins are part of this season along with others as well. Autumn festivals are starting to appear as well to celebrate the harvest. A major Autumn festival is Oktoberfest, an annual event that began in 1810 in Munich, Germany. Originally a royal marriage event, it has blossomed into a two-week festival the showcases agriculture, fun games and entertainment lots of food, and of course beer. Lots of beer. The Munich festival, which every major beer brewer in Munich participates, sees over 2 million gallons consumed. When Germans migrated to other countries, the festival came with them, and many cities now have the event.

Another rite of October is pumpkin carving. Back in Ireland, turnips were carved and a candle lit nearby to keep a rather disreputable wandering spirit named Stingy Jack from entering their homes. When the Irish migrated to America, they discovered a unique squash called pumpkin that was much easier to carve. Already useful for pumpkin pie and roasted pumpkin seeds, they started carving their Jack O’ Lanterns and placing them out for people to see. Others liked it and to the delight of pumpkin growers, people wanted more pumpkins to do their own versions. Now it has become its own unique American seasonal hobby to carve the most interesting or scary pumpkin face. Many festivals feature pumpkin carving contests. And today there are serious competitions each year. A related one, but without carving, is the growing of the largest pumpkin. Each year growers try to make a few reach that gargantuan size that will beat the previous year. Half Moon Bay in California is one such place where it takes place annually.

October, of course, is the countdown to All Hallow’s Eve or just Halloween. A time for kids to trick or treat, for parents to fret about all the candy they need to hand out, and of course to watch scary movies. Costumes vary from the simple to the very creative. Thoughtful parents get together and have an event together so that kids can have some fun, eat some creepy looking candy suited for the occasion and hear ghost stores when the lights are turned low. Perhaps that sound of a horse approaching outside is the Headless Horseman!

At any rate, welcome to October and may it be fun for you!

For More Information

Catherine Boeckmann, “The Month of October 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore,” Almanac.Com, last modified September 24, 2025, accessed September 29, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-october-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

Lesley Kennedy, “The Surprising History of October,” HISTORY, last modified September 29, 2025, accessed September 29, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/october-month-history-facts.

“The Month of October,” accessed September 29, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/october.html.

Wikipedia contributors, “October,” Wikipedia, September 26, 2025, accessed September 29, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October.

Halloween, Miscellaneous, Seasons

First Autumn Sunday

Autumn Landscape
Charles Rondeau (publicdomainpictures.net)

 

Welcome to the first Autumn Sunday.

Summer is gone, a fading memory except in places such as Death Valley where it is still very hot.

Hurricane season is revving up promising to deliver rain to the eastern seaboard of the United States. Autumn’s presence is starting to be felt in some places as leaves are starting to turn into bright colors. Seasonal produce is starting to appear-apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins-along with decorations. Autumn festivals are starting to appear as well to celebrate the harvest. A major Autumn festival is Oktoberfest, an annual event that began in 1810 in Munich, Germany. Originally a royal marriage event, it has blossomed into a two-week festival the showcases agriculture, fun games and entertainment lots of food, and of course beer. Lots of beer. The Munich festival, which every major beer brewer participates, sees over 2 million gallons consumed. When Germans migrated to other countries, the festival came with them, and many cities now have the event.

Jack O’ Lanterns will start appearing as well, though many are premade until the approach of Halloween. The idea comes from Ireland and the Legend of Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was not a nice guy as the name suggests. He bested the Devil  and made him agree not to bother him and when he died not to allow him into Hell. When he finally died, Heaven would not let him enter and the Devil, keeping his word, would not let him enter Hell. This meant Jack had to roam the world in darkness with only a lighted turnip. However, during Autumn when barriers between worlds thin, his ghostly figure might try to find a place to hang out. To prevent this, Irish (and Scots as well) carved turnips to create their own lanterns to keep Jack away. Jack of the Lantern became Jack O’ Lantern starting a unique event during the Autumn season. Carving faces in the turnips (or other vegetable that was handy) became a sign of the season.

When the Irish migrated to America, they brought this tradition with them. They discovered that a unique American squash called pumpkin was much easier to carve than a turnip. Pumpkins, normally used for decoration or their insides used for making pie, now had a new purpose. Pumpkin growers were delighted as people started copying what the Irish were doing making the Jack O’ Lantern a distinctive feature of the American Halloween season. Pumpkin carving became a fun way for families and friends to do. Schools started doing competitions and now pumpkin carving has become its own art form as well.

Photo:David Wagner(publicdomainpictures.net)

 

 

Miscellaneous

Autumn Equinox Today

There are two equinoxes in the year, Autumn (September) and Spring (March). When these equinoxes occur, the sun is directly on the equator, and the length of day and night is almost equal. In the Northern hemisphere, the September Equinox heralds autumn but the opposite below the equator where it heralds the beginning of spring.  Go here to see the time it begins in your area.

Solstices and Equinoxes
Image: NASA

For those of us in the North, it means a transition from summer to winter.  During this period days start getting shorter and nights longer. Depending on where you live, you will likely have moderate warm days followed by long and cooler nights. Harvests of many crops often take place during the fall and in the old days you would prepare to store food for the winter. Harvest festivals are very popular and in particular Halloween. Pumpkins begin appearing along with all kinds of Halloween decor culminating, of course, in All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on October 31.

Photo:David Wagner(publicdomainpictures.net)

For More Information

Catherine Boeckmann, “When Is the First Day of Fall? Autumnal Equinox 2025,” Almanac.Com, last modified September 8, 2025, accessed September 9, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox.

“Autumnal Equinox | Definition, Dates, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified July 12, 2025, accessed September 9, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/science/autumnal-equinox.

Ashim, “September Equinox 2025: All You Need to Know – Space &Amp; Telescope,” Space & Telescope, September 9, 2025, accessed September 9, 2025, https://spaceandtelescope.com/september-equinox-2025/.

“When Is Fall 2025 & 2026?,” accessed September 9, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/autumnal-equinox.html.

History, Miscellaneous

Happy Labor Day!

 

Labor Day Postage Stamp (1956)
United States Post Office
Public Domain

Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. It became a federal holiday in 1894 to celebrate workers and their achievements. It has also become the unofficial end of summer as schools have reopened, and summer vacations have ended. As a federal holiday, all federal offices are closed as are banks and the stock market. All states celebrate it as well, so state, county, and city offices are closed as well. Nearly all professional offices are closed, and most construction workers have the day off as well. Retail and fast-food employees do not get the day off except in areas where due to the holiday they get virtually no business.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

History, Miscellaneous

Welcome to August

Medieval illustration of men harvesting wheat with reaping-hooks
Circa 1310
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

August is the eight month and is named for the Roman emperor Augustus. On the old Roman calendar, the month was called Sextillis (meaning sixth) as that calendar started in March. It is the last month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere but in the southern February. It is a major month of vacations especially in Europe.

The August adage is “Dry August and warmth doth harvest no harm” signals the start of the harvest season. August brings cantaloupe, cucumber, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, bell and jalapeno peppers. The Celts called August 1 Lamas Day, marking the wheat and corn harvest with a festival and feast. The Perseid Meteor which began in July continues to August 24 with the best viewing days on August 9-13th.

The August full moon is sometimes called Sturgeon Moon but since harvesting begins it is called Grain Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. For the people that live in the town of Ny-Ålesund in Norway, August is very important. As the northernmost town in the world, the summer has been one long day. The sun has been staying above the horizon since April and finally during August Polar Day occurs. That often occurs on August 24 though it can vary year to year. Tourists often visit between May-August. The sun does not rise between late October to mid-February.

The August birth flowers are the gladiolus and poppy, and the birth stone is the peridot.

For More Information

Catherine Boeckmann, “Month of August 2025: Fun Facts and Holidays!,” Almanac.Com, last modified July 23, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-august-holidays-fun-facts.

“The Month of August,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/august.html.

Miscellaneous

Happy Sunday and Welcome to Summer

Summer is now officially underway (for those in the Southern Hemisphere it is winter). Schools are out and many people will go on vacation during this time. In Europe the height of the tourist season is upon them as the expected hordes will descend.  Crowds line up early to get into the famous attractions (best to get one of those passes that allows you to bypass the lines).  Personally I prefer to do my traveling in the fall when most of the tourists are gone. And it is a bit cooler as well in many places.

With summer now here, most have packed away the heavy clothes and now wear lighter (and often brighter) clothes. Word to the wise especially in places you are planning to do a lot of walking-consider a good pair over walking shoes over sandals or flip flops. Some places, like the Vatican museum, recommend that. Also some places in Europe have become strict about wearing beach wear off the beach.  Read those warning signs and take them seriously.

Wishing everyone a very happy summer!

In Memory of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. Thanks for the great music.

Miscellaneous

Today is the June Solstice

The June Solstice today begins summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Since seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, it begins winter. The June Solstice takes place between June 20-22. It is also the longest day of sunlight in the north (the reverse in the south). To determine the exact time of the Summer Solstice in your area, go to timeanddate.com.

This illustration shows how daylight falls on Earth at the seasonal points.
Image: NASA

Summer, the warmest of all seasons and long daylight hours, sees sunrises earlier and sunsets later. Though warm and dry in North America and Europe (except for thunderstorms and hurricanes), Asia gets lots of rain from monsoons. Vacations from school and work are common in summer with sporting and outdoor events for people to attend. In the far north the sun never sets during this time (the opposite in the south where the sun never rises.

Summer field in Belgium (Hamois). The blue flower is cornflower and the red one a corn poppy.
Image credit: Luc Viatour (via Wikimedia Commons)

Summer Solstice celebrations are celebrated all over the world with different customs and traditions. Bonfires, festive banners, and special foods are eaten. Some travel to Stonehenge to see the first rays of the sun illuminate it. The first full moon after the June Solstice is often called the Strawberry Moon since the first strawberries of the season are available. Midsummer’s Day is on June 24. Summer means in many places-where winters are long and dark- that the sun has returned. Celebratory bonfires and torches are lit to note the change in towns and in mountain villages.

Sources

Catherine Boeckmann, “Summer Solstice 2025: When Is the First Day of Summer?,” Almanac.Com, last modified June 20, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-summer-summer-solstice.

June Solstice: the Longest (and Shortest) Day. (n.d.). https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Summer | Sunshine, Heatwaves, Vacations,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified June 20, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/science/summer-season.