Religious information

Web sites that discuss the winter solstice

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On about December 21^st of each year, Aborigines, academics, astroarchaeologists, Atheists, Celts, Druids, historians, Native Americans, Pagans, Shamans, Wiccans, Witches, etc., the world over will be celebrating the world's oldest holiday, the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice.

Lowell McFarland contributed the following information:

Some web sites featuring information on the Winter Solstice are:

• Solstice at: http://www.candlegrove.com/ Teresa Ruano and friends describe ancient solstice architectures, a family fertility ritual, and solstice celebrations of many cultures.
  
  
• Winter Solstice at: http://www.astro.virginia.edu/ Eric W. Weisstein has included two graphs showing when the solstice occurs, in the Gregorian calendar, and a chart listing the time of the solstice from 1908 to 2009 CE.
  
  
• Winter Solstice at: http://tryskelion.com/  Lisa Hutchins has an essay describing the origins, traditions and spirituality of the solstice.
  
  
• Newgrange, Ireland:
  • This megalithic passage grave cemetery and ceremonial site has been carbon dated to about 3000 to 2500 BCE. It was built 1,000 years or more before Stonehenge in England, and about 500 years before the Egyptian pyramids.
    
    
  • Some amazing pictures of the winter solstice at Newgrange are featured at http://www.knowth.com One in particular is sized for use as a background on your computer desktop. The same website also has many other images of megalithic sites.
    
    
  • Aerial Images of Newgrange and Knowth megalithic passage tombs can be seen at: http://www.knowth.com/
    
    
  • For the first time, the 2007 Winter Solstice illumination at Newgrange will be available live on the Internet. See http://www.newgrange.com/
     
• Maes Howe: The Winter Solstice was broadcast live from the 5,000 year old megalith at this location in the Orkney's, Scotland. At the time of the solstice, light from the setting sun shines through a small opening above the entrance to the tomb and illuminates the back wall of the chamber. Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland, and others organized a Internet hookup. Before and after the 1998 solstice, the sunset at Maes Howe was broadcast from 1998-DEC-7 to 1999-JAN-31. This was repeated in 1999/2000 and is expected to be continued. The site expresses time in GMT; subtract 5 hours to convert to Eastern Standard time. See: http://www.iol.ie/
   
• Additional Maes Howe Web sites:
  • http://maeshowe.mypage.org  Victor Reijs has some fascinating drawings of the Maes Howe structure.
    
    
  • http://www.stonesofwonder.com/  Robert Pollock's web site includes material on "Stones of Wonder: Prehistoric Observatories in Scotland." Also included are information on the key lines, and the dates of the equinoxes, solstices, midsummer and midwinter full moons from 1997 to 2030.
    
    
  • http://www.orkneyjar.com The "Maeshowe" site by Sigurd Towrie describes the megalith site, and includes many details, including some ancient graffiti.

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• Winter Solstice Celebrations for Families and Households
  • Circle Santuary:  Selena Fox discusses the focus of the celebration, including its timing, length, location, and featured elements. See: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/
    
    
  • MyThinkLinks has a page titled "Greetings and Lore for Yuletide" at: http://www.mythinglinks.org/
    
    
• Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc and other Druidic sites:
  • http://www.adf.org/rituals/celtic/yule/wsolstice.html  ADF has published a winter solstice Druidic ritual, by Amergin Aryson.
    
    
  • http://www.candlegrove.com/ideas.html Teresa Ruano and friends has published ideas observing a winter solstice, either alone or with friends or family.
    
    
  • http://www.mindspring.com/~stardancer/winsols.htm Stardancer has a description of the solstice, and has links to a number of Druidic rituals that have been celebrated in past years.
    
    
• Archaeoastronomy:
  • Crystalinks describes the "astronomical practices, celestial lore, mythologies, religions and world-views of" ancient cultures. See: http://www.crystalinks.com/
    
    
  • The Center for Archaeostronomy of the University of Maryland publishes  the journal "Archaeoastronomy," See: http://www.wam.umd.edu/ 
     
    
• Other Winter Solstice Sites around the world:
  
  
  • Carnac, France
    • http://www.rennet.org/tourism/carnac/
      
      
  • Chichen Itza, Mexico
    • http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/pyramid.html
      
      
  • Medicine Wheels, America
    • http://www.wholeo.net/Access/path/axPmascot.htm
      
      
    • http://users.sdccu.net/alahoy/osanta4.htm
      
      
  • Stonehenge, England
    • http://www.crystalinks.com/stonehenge.html
      
      
• YouTube: Many dozens videos are available free showing the winter solstice at Stonehenge and elsewhere. See: http://www.youtube.com/

Coding by B.A. Robinson
Links checked: 2007-DEC
Last update: 2011-DEC-03

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