HAPPY SOLSTICE peeps!!its me mums birthday today to!!thank fuck the days are guna start getin longa now!!am i right in thinking that it wos the winter solstice that the pagens used to clibrate more not the summer 1??to do with partyin an hopeing that there next crop would be a good 1??if any 1 has any info on this would love to no..:bounce_fl :bounce_g: :bounce_fl

The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun‘s position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane as the observer. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the event of the Winter solstice occurs sometime between December 20 and 23 each year in the Northern hemisphere, and between June 20 and 23 in the Southern Hemisphere, and the winter solstice occurs during either the shortest day or the longest night of the year (not to be confused with the darkest day or nights). Though the Winter Solstice lasts an instant, the term is also used to refer to the full day and night (24hrs) within which the event occurs. A more accurate usage might be the “day of the winter solstice” or the “night of/before the winter solstice”.
Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

Winter Solstice [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/DSC06815.JPG/215px-DSC06815.JPG[/IMG]
Fire kept burning through the longest night of the year
Also called Midwinter, DōngZhì, Yule, Şabe Cele/Yalda, Soyal, Teḳufat Ṭebet, Şeva Zistanê, Solar New Year, Longest Night
Observed by Various cultures, ancient and modern
Type Cultural, Seasonal, Astronomical
Significance Astronomically marks the middle or beginning of winter, interpretation varies from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of rebirth
Date The Solstice of Winter
December 21 or 22 (NH)
June 21 or 22 (SH)
2007 date December 22 (UTC North)
June 21 (UTC South)
2008 date December 21 (UTC North)
June 20 (UTC South)
Celebrations Festivals, spending time with loved ones, feasting, singing, dancing, fire in the hearth
Related to Winter Festivals and the Solstice