Lead us back toward the light

FRIDAY evening saw an excited gathering of children and parents at the Euroa Arboretum celebrate the southern hemisphere’s midwinter. The solstice passed at exactly 12:42pm on Saturday, making Friday night the longest night of the year and a cause for excitement for over 40 locals with lanterns, bonfires, and creativity in storytelling filling the night. The Arboretum’s Jemma Norman could not be seen but in her place ‘Pod’ the Fairy led the celebration with the aid of piper Joe Farrell. Some children brought their own lanterns while others were made on site and launched into the water, before a large gathering around a fire enjoyed captivating storytelling. “It was a good little group,” Pod said. “There was a wonderful atmosphere, and the whole feel was not only the longest night but also a celebration of returning to the light and longer days.” Pod said the focus for the night had been on rebirth in nature. “The theme was on birth and renewal, with seed being the focus of how the vegetation grows again after winter.” Although noted as the chronological midpoint of winter, meteorologists have long noted that colder weather increases after the solstice due to a temperature lag effect. Oceans absorb later summer and autumn heat and release it into winter and despite longer days shining on the water from 21 June each year, it takes some time to heat it up again, resulting in colder weather up to early September. This seasonal lag also occurs after the summer solstice on 20-21 December, with the hottest conditions arriving in January-February. Deep history Both the winter and summer solstices can occur on 20-22 June and 20-23 December, respectively, and are marked by the precise moment when, relative to earth's orbit, the tilt of the planet's axis is at the peak of that hemisphere's distance either away from or toward the sun. Solstices have been recognised since pre-history and have deep roots in both paganism and as a precursor to Christmas (which replaced Rome's mid-winter Saturnalia and the Germanic Yule). The celebrations center around the sun's comparative movement and its significance for agricultural cycles.

Lead us back toward the light

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