The Darkest Evening of the Year

© Photographer:Javarman Agency: Dreamstime.com

We're quickly approaching the winter solstice, the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. There are, of course, many ways that this time is celebrated in various cultures. Most of them involve light or fire somehow, a way to keep the energy of the sun burning until it can be coaxed out of its hiding place to provide longer, warmer days ahead. Even celebrations that are not specifically about reviving the sun can trace the roots of their traditions back to this belief.

Anthropologists think that prehistoric humans observed rituals related to the winter solstice out of fear that the sun would gradually go away completely, leaving them in eternal cold and darkness. Only human intervention could prevent this catastrophe. The fear of abandonment by the sun, the life-giving force, seems so primitive to us, yet gives a glimpse at how precarious life must have been at that time.

Even now, some people struggle with the darkness this time of year. One of the saving graces of January in northern climates is that at least the days are getting longer.

While I wrote earlier that I wouldn't post a lot of poetry here, I did find a video of Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, with its reference to the solstice. If you're inclined, you can watch it by following this link. I like this video not just for the recitation, but for the music and imagery as well. This poem remains an American classic, with the narrator torn between contemplating the beauty of the woods and the duties he must tend to. Think of him as you run your after-work errands in the dark in this run-up to the holidays.