Editorial: The enduring promise of spring

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005 | 7:38 a.m.

If you're reading this after 10:30 a.m., you missed it. According to the National Weather Service, that's the time at which the sun shone directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and was its greatest distance from Earth -- otherwise known as the winter solstice.

From that point forward, daylight will last just a bit longer as our season marches toward spring. In ancient times the early disappearance of the sun in late December was troubling to many people, who feared that the long night ahead would last forever.

But sunlight always returned, and the days were noticeably longer. So the people celebrated the eventual return of warm weather. This existing period of celebration of the Earth's rebirth went on to include Christians' celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Though we may not notice, the winter solstice in modern times brings a few more seconds of daylight to find that iPod, bake another dozen cookies and otherwise make last-minute preparations for whatever holiday that people are celebrating.

Some will be recognizing Christmas or Hanukkah this weekend. All people can, in some way, celebrate nature's timetable.

For most, the winter solstice is simply another day on the calendar in the middle of a season that is barely a quarter over. Many of winter's harshest days undoubtedly lie ahead. But, as the winter solstice has always promised, spring is not so very far away.