Finding Light in the Longest Nights
- Jared Parks
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
The excitement of New Year’s Eve seems to ebb much faster than the other major holidays. Though the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, the three weeks either side of the solstice have nearly identical hours of daylight, so by January 1st we are all still in the midst of the shortest days of the year and a good three to four weeks from the noticeably longer days associated with the beginning of February. In my experience, the prolonged period of short days coupled with the coldest temperatures of the year make for a tough slog beginning with New Year’s. To keep my sanity, I focus my thoughts on three things.
First is St. Brigid’s Day, or Imbolc. This significant, ancient Celtic holiday, celebrated on or near February 1st, marks the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The holiday is also known as “the Return of the Light” and is meant to remind people that longer days will soon bring an explosion of new growth and warmth back to our lives. Even faced with the lowest temperatures of the year and continued limited vitamin D exposure, St. Brigid’s Day is my reminder that winter will eventually end.
The second is the beginning of Daylight-Saving Time on the first Sunday in March. I know that everyone has their own opinion on clocks springing forward and falling back, but for me, the extra hour of sun in the evening is a clear sign that spring is near. The Equinox is only a couple of weeks away, early spring flowers are starting to emerge, and I can get out in the garden to plant peas. Nothing cheers me up like getting my hands back into the dirt.
The third, and most important, is making sure to keep up with my winter walks. I found out long ago when I was in college in Wisconsin that the best way to fend off the winter doldrums is to throw on your long johns and winter coat, get outside, and take a hike. It may be cold, but winter is one of the best times to see wildlife, and the exercise and fresh air really do the body and mind a lot of good.
