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Jun. 21st, 2013 06:32 amToday is the first day of summer, the summer solstice, the "longest" day, the day with the most minutes between sunrise and sunset.
First day of summer.
Yeah. That's always a bit weird when the first day of summer with the most daylight is at the start of the season not in the middle. How can they call it Midsummer's Night when it's only the beginning?
Yet, I've had arguments in the past with friends in Australia who insist the first day of this season (winter for them) is June 1, not 21. They officially start all their seasons on the first of the month (March, June, September, December) and were surprised that we use the equinox/solstice as the turning point which, to me, seems more logical. Granted, the 21st is sometimes the 22nd if there's a leap year but so what? Who decides what the official first day of a season is? In Oz, it must have been a committee decision at some point which has become tradition. Using the dates we use must be a throwback to the pagans celebrating the seasons.
And in Diana Gabaldon's world, these are the best dates for time travel.
Just saying. :)
First day of summer.
Yeah. That's always a bit weird when the first day of summer with the most daylight is at the start of the season not in the middle. How can they call it Midsummer's Night when it's only the beginning?
Yet, I've had arguments in the past with friends in Australia who insist the first day of this season (winter for them) is June 1, not 21. They officially start all their seasons on the first of the month (March, June, September, December) and were surprised that we use the equinox/solstice as the turning point which, to me, seems more logical. Granted, the 21st is sometimes the 22nd if there's a leap year but so what? Who decides what the official first day of a season is? In Oz, it must have been a committee decision at some point which has become tradition. Using the dates we use must be a throwback to the pagans celebrating the seasons.
And in Diana Gabaldon's world, these are the best dates for time travel.
Just saying. :)
