At last the great day has arrived.

Let joy be unconfined, and let the revelries commence.  The day we have been waiting for has finally dawned.

There is of course that minor feast of consumerism in a few day’s time but that is a mere hijacking by Christians of the real feast day.  While Christians have been celebrating for a mere couple of thousand years, this day has been celebrated for at least six or seven thousand.  One only has to look at Newgrange – that great monument to the sunrise – that pre-dates even the pyramids by two thousand years or more.

Nearly everyone I know says the same thing.  Forget the Festival of Consumerism and rejoice on the arrival of the shortest day.  Those of us who hate the dark bleak winter evenings can rejoice in the fact that while the evenings are still dark, at least they aren’t getting any darker, and soon there will be a noticeable stretch to the day, where each evening the lights go on later and later.   While the change in sunset time will be virtually undetectable for a while, the important thing is the psychological milestone: the knowledge that it is all improving from here on in.

Time for a few drams of whiskey tonight or maybe earlier?  I haven’t opened the bottle yet but already I feel better.

Happy Solstice everyone!