The New Year Starts Before Christmas

The earths orbit is an elipse. And while the solstice is dec 20-22nd ( varies by year) the sunrise doesn't begin moving northward again for 5 days. ... The 25th is the first day of the new sidereal year, when the sun repeats the journey north.

In the southern hemisphere the sun stops in its relative motion as observed from Earth 22-24 th dec or the sun of g-d died for 3 days , take your pick but do not forget hundreds of millions of Christians of the Orthodox religion have their calender 10 days behind the official western version .

Mind you i have come across a few quotes in old old history books that Temples etc were moved in pre history to make the sun line up again with the openings .

But a older wiser religion might start the new year in sept 9-11
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk...
I have many holidays per year - i am worth it

The Earth is closest to the Sun, or at the perihelion, about 2 weeks after the December Solstice, when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, the Earth is farthest away from the Sun, at the aphelion point, 2 weeks after the June Solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying warm summer months.

from Time and Date .com

Sooooo.... if we're gonna choose a 'new year' for the Earth as a whole, maybe it should be when the Sun is closest to us? ...which is around around 4 Jan, making 1 Jan a pretty good compromise
buuuut... each to their own, ey? Going into Winter here in the S. Hem. I can't wait until 21 June, the shortest day/longest night, as each day after that get's longer... I kinda consider this the start of my 'new year'
(Winter kinda depresses me, so I really look forward to the days getting longer!)

a reply to: DoctorBluechip

Many people call December 21st 'the shortest day' or some 'the longest night' .

Or vice versa for us under the equator.

Some call it the Winter Solstice , and others The Winter Equinox

Then that shows they know not of what they speak.

each year has 2 solstices and 2 equinox's.

What they don't tend to call it is 'The New Year' , but that's exactly what it is .

How so?


It when the seasons change in reality.

We hear in Australia have Summer start on Dec. 01 when in reality Summer here in Australia should start on 21st of December.

None of the animals or plants wait for a calendar date at 12 o clock to celebrate the new beginning , but listen when it comes and you will hear the birds singing gladly on this day .

Birds sing every morning where I'm at.

We don't need to be Pagans or some other subverts to a belief system to celebrate the true new year .

you have failed to explain how its the new year.

You can be anything you want and celebrate anything you want.

Are people so imprisoned they fail to realize what they are capable of?

When I've said 'happy new year' to people on this day , they've often said 'what?'

Yes, for good reason.

And it shows just how much we've become separated from the planet we live on , and the very reality we engage in without thought to it's processes .

because people don't get when you say happy new year when its not?

Each new year is a very important part of life for all things . Think of the growth which comes with spring .

So why isn't the start of spring the new year?

But now we've lost step and we're not in tune with reality .

I don't think you can speak for anyone else other than yourself.

Why are you or why do you believe you are so out of tune with reality?

One day the true new year will matter again .

Which is Dec.21st according to you.

Why?

What makes it true?

Why not 21st of June as that is the shortest day for us down under?

a reply to: Boadicea

In other words, the northern hemisphere's "spring" is the southern hemisphere's "winter," and so on.

You mean Autumn or Fall as you guys in the States call it.

originally posted by: surfer_soul
a reply to: Boadicea

Seems fairly simple to me, the winter solstice represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.

so how does a 3 months from solstice to equinox or 6 month cycle between the 2 solstices equal a year?

originally posted by: InhaleExhale
a reply to: Boadicea

In other words, the northern hemisphere's "spring" is the southern hemisphere's "winter," and so on.

You mean Autumn or Fall as you guys in the States call it.

Yes... Yes, I do. Thank you for correcting me so nicely!

originally posted by: InhaleExhale

originally posted by: surfer_soul
a reply to: Boadicea

Seems fairly simple to me, the winter solstice represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another.

so how does a 3 months from solstice to equinox or 6 month cycle between the 2 solstices equal a year?

3x4 equinox =12 months = 1 year
6x2 solstices =12 months, simples

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year though technically it’s not until 3 days after the days begin to get longer again. However the winter solstice only occurs once per year, so it could easily be a marker to represent the end of one year or the beginning of another. As any other day could but the winter solstice would be more significant to pre Christian cultures in the northern hemisphere than any other random day.

a reply to: surfer_soul

3x4 equinox =12 months = 1 year

There are 2 equinoxes in a year, the time between each is 6 months.


the time between an equinox and solstice is 3 months.

So yes 4 cycles of a 3 month period does equal a year, bravo.

But that is 4 cycles.

6x2 solstices =12 months, simples

I asked you how can a 6 month cycle, 1 cycle between each Solstice can equal a year when the cycle is 6 months.

I was replying to your reply to the poster Boadicea as they perfectly sum up that what the OP thinks about Solstices is wrong, and how their incorrect view only works on one hemisphere of the planet.

However the winter solstice only occurs once per year, so it could easily be a marker to represent the end of one year or the beginning of another.

No a winter solstice occurs twice a year, are you forgetting when its winter for the north its summer for the south?

As any other day could but the winter solstice would be more significant to pre Christian cultures in the northern hemisphere than any other random day.

Why?

Why would it hold more significance than the other solstice, especially in the north, the more daylight seem more significant in terms of life than more night does.

a reply to: InhaleExhale

I’m fairly certain the pre Christian pagans of the northern hemisphere marked all the solstices and equinoxes as important times of the year. Winter would have obviously been the hardest time of year for them. So yes they would have celebrated the days lengthening again which happens after the winter solstice.

Vice versa for the Southern Hemisphere.