Solstices and equinoxes for 2019-2020 Features of the position of the sun relative to the earth.

The forces of nature are harmonious and consistent. No matter how a person tries to unravel them, make attempts to predict and / or correct, but to no avail. The only sure and easy way to interact with them is to accept and harmoniously weave them into your life. What our ancestors did well in ancient times. The days of the solstices and equinoxes from time immemorial were milestones in the calendar, when the seasons changed. They had a special power, so it was simply impossible to live them quietly. Let's talk about these days from the point of view of the calendar and astronomy, touching in passing on the magical rites of our Slavic ancestors.

What are solstice days?

the movement of the earth around the sun during the equinoxes and solstices

Solstice days are astronomical situations when the sun is at its highest or lowest position relative to the earth's horizon.
In other words, when day and night have a maximum and minimum duration.

We see this phenomenon twice a year:

• June 21 or 22
• December 21 or 22

The shift in dates is due to the peculiarity of the year. It is either regular or leap year.

Solstice days are named:

• summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern in June
• winter for the northern hemisphere and summer for the southern in December

The summer solstice is characterized by:

• the longest day
• shortest night

At the winter solstice, the duration of the day and night are opposite to the summer ones.

Date of the summer solstice in 2020: day length, shortest night

arrangement of the sun and earth on the summer solstice

Its duration will be 17.5 hours, respectively, the night will last only 6.5.

Date of the winter solstice in 2019: day length, shortest day

Now the night will make up most of the day - about 17 hours, and a little less than 7 hours will remain for the day.

The position of the sun at the solstice

position of the sun above the horizon during the solstices and equinoxes

The periods between solstices are the time when the sun moves either higher above the horizon or lower.

Astronomers note that the movement of a hot star is similar to a sinusoid:

• after the winter solstice it rises daily
• after the summer - on the contrary, it falls lower

The angle created by the sun and the earth's horizon, in other words, the astronomical longitude of a hot star, is:

• 90° in June
• 270° in December

In astronomy, from the moment the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Taurus in June, summer is counted, and winter is counted in the sign of Sagittarius in December.

A few days before and after the solstice, the hot celestial body “freezes” at one point at noon.

However, you won't see the sun directly overhead on the solstices. If you are a resident of the northern hemisphere of the Earth, then:

• go 23.5° above the equator before the summer solstice to see the hot planet vertically above you,
• visit 23.5° south latitude to see a similar phenomenon during the winter solstice.

How does the day decrease after the summer solstice: graph

longitude of the day in different months of the year on the diagram

The sun from the most distant point from our planet begins to reduce the degree of deviation. The day is slowly getting shorter.

So from + 23.5 ° it comes to 0 ° on the day of the autumn equinox. Then the northern hemisphere receives less warm sunlight, and the southern hemisphere receives more.

The figure below shows a table of changes in the length of the day after the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere by months.

table of changes in longitude of the day after the solar solstice

How does the day increase after the winter solstice: graph

sunrise on the winter solstice over Stonehenge

Having reached a deviation of -23.5 °, the hot luminary comes to the closest point to the planet, the winter solstice begins. After that, the day gradually grows.

At 0° on the vernal equinox, the sun begins to warm the northern hemisphere more. So the duration in the latter increases.

Below in the picture is a table of the increase in the longitude of the day after the winter equinox for the northern hemisphere by months.

table of day length changes in the northern hemisphere after the winter solstice

What are equinoxes?

diagram of the starry sky and the positions of the sun relative to the earth and the signs of the zodiac at the equinoxes and solstices

The equinoxes are the points from which the seasons begin.

In the first months of spring and autumn, our sun reaches points when day and night are almost equal in duration. These dates are for:

• northern hemisphere - March 20 and September 21/22/23, respectively
• southern hemisphere - vice versa

The sun on the equinoxes is in the zodiacal signs of Pisces in spring and Virgo in autumn.

The days of the equinox are interesting in that the hot luminary passes from one hemisphere to another. That is, from March 20/21, there is more warm sun in the northern hemisphere, and from September 22/23 - in the southern.

Spring equinox day in 2020: date, longitude of the day

symbolic border of winter and spring

As follows from the word "equinox" itself, the light and dark parts of the day become equal in duration.

Autumn equinox day in 2019: date, longitude of the day

The date of the autumnal equinox of 2019 in the northern hemisphere of our planet falls on September 23.

Up to this point, the day was shrinking, giving its minutes to the night. It caught up with it in duration on this calendar date.

The position of the sun on the equinoxes

position of the sun on the equinoxes and solstices in the northern hemisphere

The equinoxes represent a milestone when the sun moves from the northern to the southern hemisphere in autumn and vice versa in spring. This is for the part of our planet that is located above the equator.

The sun these days directs its rays in such a way that they evenly heat the entire part of the Earth that is turned to it.

Another feature of these calendar dates is that the day before and after, as well as during the equinox, the sun rises clearly in the east and sets in the west. True, this phenomenon is characteristic only for 23.5 ° north or south latitude. Elsewhere there is a slight shift to the north or south.

Days of equinox and solstice: magic

smiling girl in a wreath of wild flowers during the celebration of the summer solstice

These 4 days of the year have maximum energy, not only because of the change of times. The Slavs knew this very well and harmoniously built their lives in such a way as to streamline and develop their relationship with nature.

A common moment during the celebrations of all solstices and equinoxes among our ancestors were mass festivities. The whole village gathered together:

• there were different games and fun
• there were round dances
• everyone ate
• praised the gods
• commemorated ancestors

Everything was fun, easy and natural.

• We still celebrate the summer solstice as Kupala. We are looking for the cherished fern flower in the hope of good luck and the fulfillment of a cherished dream.
• On the autumn equinox, the ancestors held a harvest festival. Adults cleaned the house, yard, and fields. Children decorated their homes with bunches of rowan. It was believed that she would protect the house and its inhabitants from evil all year round.

The winter solstice, or the birth of Kolyada, the young sun, was celebrated on a special scale. There was also a place:

• fortune-telling about the betrothed, marriage, weather for next year, harvest
• caroling and dressing up as animals to scare away dark forces
• jumping over the fire to burn all resentment, envy and similar sins

Three days before and the same after Kolyada had a special power. Mistresses put things in order in their heads and houses, attracted health and well-being to the life of the family. They watched the events of 12 days after Kolyada in order to understand what the coming year would bring for the family.

• The vernal equinox had a special power. Nature was waking up from its winter sleep, a new year was beginning to work on the earth.
• At that time pancakes were baked, there was Maslenitsa. But it lasted 2 weeks - one before, the second after the day of the equinox.
• Housewives baked larks, small birds made from sweet dough.
• In the evening, everyone jumped over the fires to renew themselves for a new round of life. For example, if an unmarried girl jumped, then she will definitely become the mother of a hero.

Read more about traditions, rituals and actions aimed at harmonizing fate in the next article.

Video: solstices and equinoxes

BUTSTRONOMIC RECURSION.

There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer.

December 21, 2017 at 19:28 Moscow time the winter solstice will come. At this moment, the Sun will move from the northern hemisphere of the sky to the southern.

The trajectory of our planet around the Sun is not a perfect circle. The distance between the Sun and the Earth changes - from the minimum close to the most distant, and so it repeats from year to year. On the day of the winter solstice - the Earth occupies the closest position to the Sun, and in our hemisphere at this time there is the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

THE WINTER SOLSTICE IN RUSSIA IS A KOLYADA HOLIDAY.

In Russia, on the day of such an important astronomical event as the winter solstice, Kolyada was celebrated, which speaks of the advanced knowledge of our Slavic ancestors in matters of astronomy and astrology. By the way, the word "Slav" is interpreted as SLAV YANG, Yin, that is, glorify the male and female principles.

December 21, on the day of the winter solstice, began Kolyad'en, the first month of winter. On the same day, in accordance with natural rhythms, they celebrated the birth of Kolyada, one of the main Slavic gods, Dazhbog, who embodied the Sun.

In ancient times, even before Christianity, on the day of the winter solstice, the Slavs knew that this was a turning point in nature. At this time, there is a sharp struggle between Good and Evil, the End and the Beginning become close. Our ancestors believed that worlds open on this night: the world of the gods is heavenly, the world of man is earthly, the world of underground riches and the dead is underground. On December 22, the sun (Kolyada) died, but then was born again.

The celebration of Kolyada took place in December. The glorification of Kolyada with its fun and optimism personified the faith of our ancestors in the victory of good principles over the forces of evil. To help Kolyada win and drive away evil spirits, the Slavs burned fires, sang and danced around them.

With the advent of Christianity on our lands, the Nativity of Christ was timed to this day and the ancient, optimistic and life-affirming holiday of Kolyada was banned, and instead of it, the supposedly Christian "Christmas" of Christ was introduced ... The last patriarchal ban on worshiping Kolyada was issued on December 24, 1684 (A. Strizhev, "People's Calendar"). But the truth is not so easy to eradicate, and the ancient custom simply passed into a different form ... unfortunately, having lost the true meaning to which it was originally dedicated ...

It is also known that in ancient times, God Kolyada gave many Slavic families a system for calculating seasonal time for field work - Kolyada dar - KOL (a) endAR - Daarisky Krugolet Chislobog. This calendar existed in Russia before the introduction of Christianity and carries with it a huge layer of knowledge of our ancient and wise ancestors. In Summer 7208 (1700 AD), our ancient calendar was banned by the false tsar Peter the Great, who issued a decree on the abolition of all old calendars that simultaneously existed on the Russian lands. He introduced the Western European calendar from the Nativity of Christ, thus stealing from our people 5508 years of the Great Heritage.

Awakening of Russia, ours with you Genus others, begins with rebirth and understanding with genus s and genus ny traditions.

Reviving the truth about the true meaning of our folk traditions and customs, we establish a connection between times, awaken the ancestral memory of the Rus, and revive the culture of Great Russia. Let's revive the truth about the past of our Motherland together and let's celebrate our native holidays! IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW the true history and traditions of your people. Know to save. And pass it on to your kids!

solstice

Sunrise on December 22 portends the beginning of the next life cycle, in connection with which the day will be filled with powerful mystical meaning.

This day is also called "Solstice".

In ancient times, people who celebrated the solstice believed that it erases all sorts of boundaries between the worlds of spirits, people and gods, and also makes direct communication between them possible.

According to legend, on these nights all the worlds intersect in Midgard (in ancient times, our Earth was called Midgard), Goddesses and Gods descend to people.

Signs of rituals of antiquity are observed today. So, spruce has become an attribute of the New Year and Christmas holidays. On these days, people carol and treat guests with various treats, exchange gifts. Christmas lights and lit candles represent the flashes of ancient bonfires. Fire is protection, as well as an assistant in communicating with representatives of other worlds.

Kolovrat or solstice is one of the oldest ancient Russian symbols, personifying the Sun and the solar gods Svarog, Dazhdbog and Yarila.

The name of the symbol came from the word "kolo" - the sun. The symbol itself looks like a circle with curved rays, so some uneducated citizens associate it exclusively with the fascist swastika. Although this is fundamentally not the case: in Nazi Germany they really used this ancient solar symbol. Perhaps this choice was dictated by the centuries-old worship of people to the Sun, and such a tradition is found in almost every nation. It is also worth noting that the Germanic and Slavic tribes were originally one Indo-European people.

The life of our ancestors was subject exclusively to the solar cycle - all holidays and important events were associated with the sun.

It was believed that it was the sun that plays the most important role in the universe, it is the focus of strength, life, seething energy and fertility. That is why the most common symbol used in various jewelry and decorating the clothes of the Russians was the Kolovrat, which was considered a male symbol. It was embroidered on banners and lace, carved on wood and metal, and used in ancient Vedic rituals.

After the Baptism of Russia, this symbol was banned, as well as other ancient Russian attributes of faith. Meanwhile, Kolovrat personifies nothing more than Yarilo-sun, without which life itself on Earth is impossible. No wonder this symbol, embroidered on military banners, terrified the enemy tribes and put them to flight. No one and nothing could resist the strength of the ancient Russian warriors under the sign of the Solstice.

At present, we astrologers have been able to fully explain the meaning of Kolovrat. If we consider on the star chart the location of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor at 00.00 h / min on December 22 and June 22, as well as on March 21 and September 23 (this is the time of the winter and summer solstices, and the time of the spring and autumn equinoxes). If you draw an imaginary line from these constellations to the polar star, you will get the elements of Kolovrat. And if you combine the positions of the constellations on December 22, June 22, March 21 and September 23 in one picture, nothing more than an image of Kolovrat will appear in front of you.

It is likely that our ancestors originally used the Kolovrat to locate by the stars.

The solstice was made of gold or another yellow metal, such as brass or bronze. This is quite logical, because gold is the metal of the sun, and silver is the metal of the moon. The Magi used the amulet with the image of the symbol of the sun as a powerful amulet, and at present such talismans are used for the same purpose.

Wearing such a symbol protects the owner from all sorts of adversities and misfortunes, gives strength in difficult situations, protects happiness. Moreover, the symbol can be executed in the following variations:

- eight-rayed Kolovrat means the power of solar fire,

The six-beam Kolovrat is a Perun's wheel, a symbol of the god Perun,

The four-beam Kolovrat means fire burning on Earth

Our ancestors depicted Kolovrats on clothes, embroidered them on military banners, cast them on weapons. They believed that the sun would bring them victory and glory. In most cases this turned out to be the case. Sun rays-symbols can be bent clockwise and counter-clockwise, or they can be enclosed in a circle, personifying the universe. In the latter case, Kolovrat symbolizes the eternal cycle in the Universe.

ASTROLOGICAL AND ESOTERIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE

If we consider the traditions of the winter solstice from an esoteric point of view, we can say that this sacred period opens access to the energy-information fields of the Universe. Correctly formulated prayers and correctly expressed desires create certain "programs" that operate over a specific period of time. I think that the coming solstice of 2017 will change many destinies of our world. However, much depends on us. What needs to be done for personal happiness and the future well-being of the planet? In preparation for entering the unique energy of the period, you need to get rid of all grievances, bad thoughts and petty worries. There should be no outbursts of irritability. It is important to remember that during the winter solstice, a certain “pure matrix” absorbs all our emotional images, aspirations and desires, in order to then translate them into reality.

The festive program should include festivities, which will improve health. Do not neglect the plentiful and noisy feasts in a wide circle of relatives and friends - they attract harmony, the well-being of family relationships. Do not forget about commemoration: you need to remember everyone whose memory is dear to you, send them words of gratitude and love.

It is mandatory to prepare gifts for loved ones, as well as make donations to the poor. Such gestures will be appreciated by the Universe, which, in gratitude, will certainly make it easier for you to achieve any goal you set.

It is necessary to emphasize a somewhat dangerous point: during periods of renewal, the world is in an unstable state, which increases the likelihood of accidents, injuries and various business failures. Therefore, people should be careful not to plan medical procedures, long trips at this moment and be more attentive to their health.

From an astrological point of view, the Sun on the day of the winter solstice will be in conjunction with Venus and Saturn and sextile to Mars and the Moon, which will be a very good start for a career, personal and sporting achievements, for establishing family and love relationships. for planning children, home improvement, real estate acquisition.

The solstice is a very important day, and not only from an astronomical point of view. This is an important day in the ancient Celtic culture, a special day in bioenergy.

In 2017, the solstice will be December 21, as, in principle, in any other year. This is a fixed date. To understand why the solstice always occurs at the same time, you need to remember that our planet always moves along the same trajectory. In a leap year, time shifts by a day, so the solstice occurs on December 22, not December 21. This is the only time the date changes.

Solstice in terms of astronomy

This is not a period of time, but only one moment. To better understand this, let's imagine the Earth moving in an orbit. The change of seasons and the length of day and night depend on the angle of the Earth in relation to the Sun. The angle of inclination directly depends on the position of the planet. There are only 4 important positions of the Earth, which are separated by an absolutely equal amount of time:

• The winter solstice is when the night is at its longest and the day at its shortest in the northern hemisphere. This is the peak of the winter astronomical period. After this day the night begins to wane;
• the spring equinox, when day and night are absolutely equal. After this day, the astronomical summer begins;
• summer solstice, when the day is as long as possible, and the night is as short as possible;
• the autumnal equinox, when again day and night are of equal length.

These positions of the Earth are just a moment, as if the planet were crossing an imaginary line. Many people, not knowing these facts, misperceive such an event. In global terms, December 21 is the border time between the beginning and end of the winter period.

Solstice in Celtic and Slavic culture

The Celts called this day Yule. Historians do not disagree on this issue. Since ancient times, the Celts were famous for agriculture, so all the holidays were associated with the harvest and the weather.

Yule was a joyful and truly great holiday. People invited friends home and held a feast. In translation, this word means “to spin”, so another name for the holiday is “wheel of the year”. The holiday was celebrated for 13 days, each of which had its own meaning. At this time, everything changes, everything does not flow as it should. The Celts believed that this was a magical time belonging to the goddess of fate, called Urd.

The first day of Yule was like our Shrovetide - the Celts and Druids lit a huge fire to drive away evil spirits from their homes and people. Everyone united so that no one was left alone. According to the beliefs of the ancient Celts, on this day a person was more prone to curses than usual.

Over time, everything has changed. The Scandinavian peoples and the peoples of northern Europe began to celebrate Yule later. When time approached modernity, Yule completely lost its former meaning, uniting with the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

In Russia, December 21 was a holiday - its name is Kolyada. People dressed up, walked, had fun. Later, this holiday merged with the Nativity of Christ, when Christianity came to Russia. Now, as you know, the Kolyada holiday is practically not celebrated anywhere separately, because the ancient customs have almost sunk into oblivion.

For astrologers, this day is of great importance, because the Sun on the 21st is already in Capricorn. For the world of esotericism and bioenergy, this date is important, because there is a change in the nature of energy. This time is great for rituals, love spells, charging amulets and talismans. On December 21, 2017, a great time will come to start a cycle of physical exercises, for spiritual searches, and relaxation.

The solstice in 2017 is no different in nature from previous or future similar days, but this is not a minus. Rather, this is a plus, because it is always nice to know in advance what awaits you and how to properly spend such time. It will be a beautiful day, the undivided reign of night and winter. This day represents something positive, reflecting hopes for a brighter future. It gives us motivation and treats apathy, depression. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

10.12.2017 04:42

The day of the winter solstice has long been considered an energetically strong period. Our ancestors believed that at this time...

Nature lives in its own special cycles. A person is not able to change these cycles, for example, to force the lunar day to change places, the moon to grow while waning. But you can adjust to all the changes in nature, to each of the cycles, which will help you start living in harmony with the universe.

This knowledge was actively used in practice by ancient people. Each nation has developed its own calendar of important events. The key position in this calendar was occupied by the solstice.

WHEN IS THE WINTER SOLSTICE IN 2019

The solstice is understood as an astronomical event, consisting in the fact that the sun occupies either the highest or lowest point relative to the earth's horizon. This event affects the length of the day, it lasts either the maximum amount of time in the year, or the minimum.

The solstice can be observed twice a year, in winter and summer. The winter solstice is characterized by the minimum length of the day and the maximum length of the night. The summer solstice is exactly the opposite of the winter solstice in terms of the length of the day and night.

In 2019, this will happen on December 22, or rather at 04:19 GMT (if translated into Moscow time, it will be at 07:19).

The winter solstice occurs at the moment when the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation in the direction from the Sun takes on the greatest value, thus this period marks the beginning of a gradual lengthening of the day and shortening of the night. From the day of the winter solstice on December 22, 2019, the day will begin to increase, and the night will decrease.

SIGNS

During this period, our ancestors predicted a fruit harvest. On December 22, they cut off several branches of cherry, brought them into the house and put them in a pot of water. If flowers appeared on these branches before January 7, then a good harvest of fruit trees was expected.

In order for apple trees to grow well and give a good harvest of apples, they were shaken on December 22.
According to the weather on the day of the winter solstice, they predict the weather on December 31, i.e. the weather on the 31st will be the same as on the Winter Solstice.

If there is wind on the Winter Solstice, then its direction should not change until the Spring Equinox.

Very important for weather forecasting are the days after the winter solstice. If it is sunny on December 25 in the morning, then you should wait for late spring and you should not rush with the spring sowing of crops. If the morning of December 25 is cloudy, then spring is expected to be early and it will be necessary to hurry with the sowing of crops.

Our ancestors believed that 12 days after December 25 predict the weather for 12 months of the next year. So, the weather for January is predicted by the weather on December 26th. In February, the weather will be the same as on December 27, in March - like on December 28, etc.

There will be frosty weather on New Year's holidays if it is sunny on December 25th. If it is cloudy on December 25, then expect cloudy, warm weather on New Year's holidays.

TRADITIONS

The winter solstice is traditionally celebrated in many cultures. The ancient Celts equated the birth of a new sun with Yule.

The decoration of the house on this day should have been special. First of all, these are spruce branches. They were hung everywhere: above the entrance to the house, between the interior doors, inserted into the windows, laid out on the fireplace. Be sure to put something symbolizing the sun in the center of the largest room of the house, in which it was customary to gather guests. It could have been an orange, a craft of golden, sunlight.

On the day when the old sun went to rest, large ritual bonfires were kindled. These bonfires were specially prayed for so that they would help the birth of a new sun, help to maintain its strength at the initial stages.

Eastern Slavs at the same time celebrated Kolyada. Kolyada in Slavic mythology is the god of the new sun. His other names: Caledi, Cadmus, Kolodiy. This deity symbolized the transition of the year. Among the people, the day of his veneration came on the day after the winter solstice. This day was considered the Slavic New Year.

They celebrated the day of Kolyada on a special scale, arranged songs, folk dances. The traditions of the day were especially concerned with gifts. On Kolyada, it was customary to give a gift, albeit a small one, to each loved one. The Slavs believed that the god of the new sun is not favorable to stingy people, and does not illuminate their lives with sunlight. It was believed that a stingy person who did not please a single person on New Year's Eve would live in darkness all year.

RITES

Of course, not all rituals that were used by our ancestors remain interesting for modern generations. After all, in the old days, sorcerers, for example, always lit fires that were supposed to burn all night, driving away the darkness and calling the Sun to return. And today, of course, no one does this. But there are also rituals that have not lost their relevance. And we will talk about them below.

The ideal option for any person is to use the winter solstice in order to attract some changes, new energy, abilities and opportunities into their lives. This day is perfect for meditation, for conducting rituals related to the energy of water, as well as for new beginnings.

Moreover, your undertakings can be anything - you have the opportunity to radically change your personal life, achieve success in your career, improve financial well-being, etc. The rituals of the Winter Solstice will be of interest to every person who is not satisfied with his life, and who dreams that -something to change. And therefore their relevance does not decrease over time - after all, it is human nature to constantly strive for the best.

You can engage in magical rites on the shortest day of the year on your own, or you can entrust the solution of your problems to a real specialist. In any case, prayers and magical conspiracies, as well as various paraphernalia, will be used in the process of their conduct. In particular, rituals for the Winter Solstice involve the use of certain plants: laurel, thistle, cedar, chamomile, juniper, mallow, mistletoe, moss, etc. In addition, you will need candles (it is advisable to give preference to white, red, green or silver color) and real stones (in particular, ruby ​​​​and tiger's eye).

PRAYERS

The winter solstice is the time of the darkest and longest night of the year, when we reflect on the meaning of various things. Why not do it in the form of Yule prayer-meditations? Use one a day as food for thought this holiday season.

CONSPIRACIES

The winter solstice was celebrated by our ancestors on December 21st. This day was and remains the shortest of the year. But the night from December 21 to 22 is the longest of the year. It is believed that it gives rise to a solar rebirth, and this is very symbolic for the Slavs. That is why on the day of the winter solstice all kinds of conspiracies and rituals were held. The patron saint of this day was Chernobog.

Conduct meditations. A good effect will be from cleansing meditations that help to get rid of something unnecessary, obsolete. It is also recommended, after cleansing, to switch to the visualization of plans for the new solar year. Prepare yourself a to-do list ahead of time. Before meditation, this list should be read, and closing your eyes, imagine that everything has already happened. If these plans are really worthwhile and at the moment of visualization strong vibrations of the energy plan were sent, everything conceived will be realized in a short time. Make a wish. Traditionally, a wish is made on the day of the calendar change. Asking for something cherished and intimate on the day of the winter solstice is akin to making a wish on a shooting star on New Year's Eve.

Conduct divination. You can tell fortunes for love using a mirror, or for next year.

Get out. For something good to come into life, you need to clear the space for it. You should clean the room, throw away all the old, broken things. All things that were not useful for the year should be collected in boxes and taken to people in need. It will not be superfluous to wash the doorways, the threshold, and most importantly the windows. It is through them that flows of power enter the house. Cluttered space interferes with the implementation of plans and the fulfillment of desires.

Let go of the past that has become obsolete. On the day of the winter solstice, right at sunset, the sun should go outside or open the window wide. Take a piece of paper and a pen with you. While the old sun goes below the horizon, you need to try to remember all the bad and all the negative things that happened during the current year. It can be relationships with people, people themselves, illnesses, litigation, job changes, loss of money, unpleasant conflict situations. All this must be written on paper, and then this paper should be burned with fire. Leave to burn out just before the setting sun. All bad things will go away, along with the old sun. And the next morning, along with the new sun, the long-awaited cleansing and relief will come.

The solstice is one of the two days of the year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is at its minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer.

On the winter solstice, the sun rises to its lowest point on the horizon.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, which is when the shortest day and longest night occur. The moment of the solstice shifts annually, since the duration of the solar year does not coincide with calendar time.

In 2017, the winter solstice will occur on December 21 at 19.28 Moscow time.

The sun, moving along the ecliptic, at this moment will reach the most distant position from the celestial equator towards the South Pole of the world. Astronomical winter will come in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet, and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

On this day, at the latitude of Moscow, the Sun rises above the horizon to a height of less than 11 degrees.

In these December days, beyond the Arctic Circle (66.5 degrees north latitude), the polar night sets in, which does not necessarily mean complete darkness throughout the day. Its main feature is that the Sun does not rise above the horizon.

At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but also twilight, and the location of the luminary can only be recognized by the constellations. A completely different picture in the region of the South Pole of the Earth - in Antarctica at this time the day lasts around the clock.

On December 21, the Sun crosses the 18 hour meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic, beginning its journey to the vernal equinox when it crosses the celestial equator.

For thousands of years, the winter solstice has been of great importance for all the peoples of our planet, who lived in harmony with natural cycles and organized their lives in accordance with them. Since ancient times, people have revered the Sun, realizing that their life on earth depends on its light and heat. For them, the winter solstice represented the victory of light over darkness.

So, in Russian folklore, a proverb is dedicated to this day: the sun - for the summer, winter - for the frost. Now the day will gradually increase, and the night will decrease. The winter solstice was used to judge the future harvest. In the old days, on this day they noticed: frost on the trees - to a rich harvest of grain.

In the 16th century in Russia, an interesting ritual was associated with the winter solstice. The bell warden of the Moscow cathedral, who was responsible for the chiming of the clock, came to bow to the tsar. He reported that from now on the sun turned to summer, the day is added, and the night is reduced. For this good news, the king rewarded the headman with money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on the day of the winter solstice, it was associated with the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the festival was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, had to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's cake - a loaf - also resembled the sun in shape.

In Europe, these days began a 12-day cycle of pagan festivities dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and the renewal of nature.

On the day of the winter solstice in Scotland it was a custom to launch the sun wheel - "solstice". The barrel was smeared with burning tar and let down the street. The wheel is a symbol of the sun, the spokes of the wheel resembled rays, the rotation of the spokes during movement made the wheel alive and looked like a luminary.

The winter solstice was determined before all other seasons in China (there are 24 seasons in the Chinese calendar). In ancient China, it was believed that from this time on, the male force of nature rises and a new cycle begins. The winter solstice was considered a happy day worthy of celebration. On this day, everyone - from the emperor to the commoner - went on vacation. The army was brought into a state of waiting for orders, border fortresses and trading shops were closed, people went to visit each other, gave gifts. The Chinese made sacrifices to the god of Heaven and ancestors, and also ate porridge made from beans and sticky rice to protect themselves from evil spirits and diseases. Until now, the winter solstice is considered one of the traditional Chinese holidays.