Winter Solstice

By GlosKat

Sat, 20 Dec 2025
  • 73 reads
7 comments
 

Yay !

We're round the bump

At the bottom of the year

Coming up the other side

Towards summer

Certificate U
Non-fiction
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by GlosKat on

The BBC website says :

"Technically speaking the solstice is a specific moment, not a whole day, and in 2025 it happens at 15:03 on 21 December."

So 3 minutes past 3 tomorrow afternoon, when I'm cold and wet wildlife volunteering, this thought will cheer me up no end !

 

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

Always a high point for me when the days stop getting shorter. I think it's a few days until they actually start to lengthen, but still, it's a start!

 

Submitted by GlosKat on

It's a few days before there is more light at the end of the day.  For the first few days after the solstice, the extra light all comes at the beginning of the day.  

Thanks for reading Claudine,  and Happy Solstice !

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Happy Solstice to you.

Jenny. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I don't care how dark it is over the next few days, just knowing that it's not going to get any worse fills my head with sunshine. And seeing the word summer written down always hoiks me up a few rungs from the deepest depth of the black chasm. 

Thank you Kat. I smiled... briefly.

I don't know if you're familiar with Charlie Higson's Johnny Nice Painter character from the Fast Show, but he's a bit me at this time of year. 

'The mounts are heavy and full of woe! I'm a fly! Trapped in a bottle of shadows!'

Turlough

Submitted by GlosKat on

Well I wish you and Jenny and Johnny Nice Painter a Happy Solstice !  

I'd like to quote you the Bing Crosby song about accentuating the positive, but I expect I'd get hauled off to prison for breach of copyright. Just remember - latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with Mister In-Between smiley

If I can find the only three beech trees in the CWP tomorrow I'm hoping to pick up some nuts which will edge me ahead in the ABC Beech Nut Germination Challenge 2026.  Will let you know !

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I don’t want to go to the dark place. The sheep are looking at me with hatred in their eyes. They wait for me in the cave. Sightless things with wings. What are we going to do with Father? Roll him up like a ticket and poke him in a hole?

Was the Bing Crosby song called Agadoo?

My Grandad spent almost all his working life at Rowntree’s factory in York. They made Beech-Nut chewing gum under licence from the American Chewy Corporation people and he always had a packet of it in his pocket despite the fact that he worked in the Cracknel and Polo departments. You might find this hard to believe but on my mother’s birth certificate in the box that says occupation of father the words ‘cracknel bender’ have been entered. I wouldn’t normally associate chewing gum with a fella born in 1899 but he was a bit different I suppose. I couldn’t understand why it never stuck to his jumper when I was forever in trouble for having mine clarted up with the stuff. But this is just a whimsical (though factual) aside to take my mind off the fact that I’m lagging behind in the ABCBNGC.

In Bulgaria the sun has set for the final time before the winter solstice. My mind is filled with joy which I wish to share with the world, especially those unfortunate people who, like me, don’t want to go to that dark place.  

Turlough