Yule Time

The Trail’s given a nod to Costanza’s Festivus, Judaism’s Hanukkah and Christian’s Christmas so why not hear from the gangs that came before on how to celebrate the winter solstice which is today occurring this morning at 10:59 EST.

Happy Yule, y’all!

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32 thoughts on “Yule Time”

  1. FYI from Winter Solstice – When Is Winter 2021? (timeanddate.com)

    Meteorologists use a different method of defining the first day of winter. And, in some countries, the beginning of the seasons is determined by average temperatures rather than fixed dates or astronomical events.

    […]

    Astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This means days get longer during winter—very slowly at first, but at ever-larger daily intervals as the March equinox approaches, heralding the start of spring.

    Locations closer to the poles experience larger differences in day length throughout the year, so winter days are shorter there. In Toronto, the shortest day is just under 8 hours and 56 minutes long; in Miami, roughly 2000 kilometers or 1200 miles farther south, it lasts about 10 hours and 32 minutes.

    Places within the polar circles experience polar night during all or part of the winter season when the Sun does not rise at all.

  2. back in 2015, he was already being a grinch

    Abbott removes ‘winter solstice’ display from Texas Capitol, says it’s a ‘juvenile parody’ | KVEO-TV (valleycentral.com)

    To celebrate the season, the Texas Capitol has multiple Christmas trees and a Nativity scene on its grounds. But after a complaint by Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday, “a winter solstice” display urging the separation of church and state has been kicked out.
    The display was a cardboard cutout of the nation’s founding fathers and the Statue of Liberty looking down at the Bill of Rights in a manger. It had been set up in the Capitol’s basement, hardly a high-traffic area, and didn’t generate much of a public response.
    But after finding out about it, Abbott called it a “juvenile parody” in a letter asking the State Preservation Board to remove the exhibit.
    Now that it’s gone, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the group behind the display, says it’s considering its legal options.
    The Preservation Board approved the exhibit days earlier. But after receiving the letter from Abbott, the agency reconsidered.
    […]
    The removal comes a week after Abbott publicly expressed his support for a Nativity scene outside the city of Orange municipal building. He argued that the city had a Constitutional right to display the religious imagery.
    In his letter Tuesday, he cited the Constitution again.
    “The Constitution does not require Texas to allow displays in its Capitol that violate general standards of decency and intentionally disrespect the beliefs and values of many of our fellow Texans,” Abbott wrote.
    The display is offensive, doesn’t serve a public purpose and doesn’t educate anyone, he wrote.
    “Far from promoting morals and the general welfare, the exhibit deliberately mocks Christians and Christianity,” said Abbott’s letter, which also called it a “juvenile parody.”
    The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a Madison, Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that describes itself as dedicated to promoting “the constitutional principle of separation of state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.”
    Sam Grover, staff attorney for the foundation, said the group is reviewing its legal options and will be in touch with the Preservation Board about getting the display back up.
    “We are certainly disappointed that Gov. Abbott has used his personal opinion to censor our display from the Capitol,” he said.
    The display was originally permitted because it was sponsored by state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. Howard said she found out about its removal Tuesday afternoon.
    [continues]

    have no idea whatever happened to that separation of church & state case or to what’s on display now at the TX capitol…. probably a nativity scene with a baby former guy (aka SFB, dipshit or donthecon) in the manger.

  7. Greg thinks the Christmas tree is a Christian symbol.  Nope.  It’s a hold-over. Paganism is allowed in Greg’s world. Such a twit.

    My grievance is with the willfully ignorant, as much as it is those who know better and lie to anyone who will listen.

    That’s what continues to drive our global health crisis, and, the political divide that continue to make the rich even richer, at the expense of our climate, while economically marginalizing more folks.

  10. I’ve seen Freedom From Religion Foundation ads for years with Ron Reagan as the spokesperson. “Atheist and not afraid to burn in hell.”  I always love hearing that line. 

    Poobah, I think Winter Solstice was probably an entirely self serving activity started by stir crazy simple folks with cold feet in insufficiently warm clothes already tired of cutting wood to stay warm begging their gods to stop this days getting shorter and colder shit that caught on and became festivals and a great excuse to eat, drink and be merry.

  11. From one of BiD’s links …

    There were even lights [🕯] hanging in the trees — possibly the origin of today’s Christmas tree.
     

    … and volunteer fire departments?

  12. “…great excuse to eat, drink and be merry”

    pogo, good ways to warm oneself up specially if you dance a jig or two around the communal fire pit 

  14. Patd

    Loved your choice today.  I was familiar with many of the symbols, but there was so much more in there.  Thank you.

     

  15. from https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/4308539/winter-solstice-2021-stonehenge-shortest-day-of-year-

    CROWDS gathered at Glastonbury and Stonehenge this morning to celebrate Winter Solstice.
    The shortest day of 2021 falls today – Tuesday, December 21 – otherwise known as the winter solstice, marking the day of the year with the fewest sunlight hours.
    This year anybody attending celebrations at the ancient monument were asked to take covid tests before gathering together.
    Dozens of people were spotted by the stones, which have been the scene of winter solstice events for thousands of years.
    The word solstice literally means, in Latin, that the sun is standing still.
    That’s because it marks the point when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
    [continues]

    @EH_Stonehenge
    Set a reminder ⏰ Tomorrow morning we’re streaming the sunrise live from Stonehenge via our social channels. Here’s when you can watch at your local time 👇
    Image
    @EH_Stonehenge
    Waving handReminder: Our #WinterSolstice celebration is on Wednesday 22 December this year, not 21 December. Enjoy the sunrise in the warmth and comfort of your own home – tune in to our live stream event on Wednesday morning: youtube.com/c/EnglishHerit
    Image
     

  17. So funny. FOX just announced expanded vaccine mandates for employees that are tougher than Biden’s, no opt-out for testing alternative to getting vaccinated. Despite their hosts attacking Biden’s now less stringent mandate as authoritarian. 

  20. the hill:

    U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Monday night that prosecutors will be allowed to move forward with the obstruction of an official proceeding charge against 17 defendants affiliated with the right-wing paramilitary group the Oath Keepers.

    In a 49-page opinion, Mehta, an Obama appointee, rejected the defendants’ various arguments, including that the obstruction charge is unconstitutionally vague and that the prosecutors’ application of it in the context of the riot imperils First Amendment protections for demonstrators.

    “Their alleged conduct was no mere political protest or trespass. If proven, their conduct crossed the line to criminal conduct: they ‘corruptly’ conspired to, and did, ‘obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding,'” Mehta wrote, quoting the statute’s text.

    Mehta is the third judge so far to uphold the obstruction of an official proceeding charge in challenges brought by Capitol riot defendants.

    The count is among the most serious that have been brought by the Justice Department in response to the attack. If a defendant is found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding, it carries a maximum possible prison sentence of 20 years.

    [continues]

  23. After last week’s weather in the 50s, 60s and even 70s, winter got its act together and arrived literally and meteorologically in East Bumfuck last night and today.  While the high is in the low 40s, the low tonight is 21 with lows in the 20s for a couple more days.  Then we’re going to have a run of mid to upper 50s with lows in the lower 40s, so winter is just doing a head fake here in honor of the Solstice.

  25. ok, bink.  here goes

    Have yourself a merry little Christmas
    Let your heart be light
    From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
    Have yourself a merry little Christmas
    Make the Yule-tide gay
    From now on, your troubles will be miles away

    Here we are as in olden days
    Happy golden days of yore
    Faithful friends who are dear to us
    Gather near to us
    Once more

    Through the years we all will be together
    If the Fates allow
    Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
    And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

  26. https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/21/business/coal-miners-joe-manchin/index.html

    “America’s largest coal mining union put out a statement lauding the legislation’s provisions and pushing Manchin to take a do-over.
    “We are disappointed that the bill will not pass,” Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said in the statement on Monday. “We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues to pass something that will help keep coal miners working, and have a meaningful impact on our members, their families and their communities.”

    Ha! The coal miners’ union wants BBB!

  30. Omicron is so contagious it doesn’t really matter what regulations are instituted, at this point.
     
    Get your booster.  If you did, already, keep masking and reduce the viral load received at moment of infection.  Keep up with the hand-sanitizer.

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