The Longest Night of the Year

Sunrise on the "winter solstice" at Stonehenge in the 80's.

Many people seem to celebrate the summer solstice...the day of the year which has the most sunshine in the northern hemisphere. I once visited Stonehenge... it's a regular site of summer celebrations, especially on the summer solstice. 

Located just 12 kilometers north of Salisbury in England, Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left apparently no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate and a number of myths surround the stones.

Other cultures have celebrated the summer solstice, including the Ancient Greeks, Ancient Chinese, the Ancient Romans, Native Americans, the Mayans, the Aztecs and the Druids. The Vikings, some of the worlds earliest sailors and explorers, also celebrated the longest day of the year. These were civilizations of the northern hemisphere. 

Here in North America, we have just celebrated the winter solstice. From this day forward, our daylight hours will increase...that is until June 21st, when this cycle begins all over again. For our ancient ancestors the winter solstice was very important since their economies were based on the seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of winter if adequate food supplies were not available.

Many cattle would be slaughtered so that fresh, then cured meat, would be available and those cattle would not have to be fed during those same winter months. This pre-winter period boasted the most fresh meat available to them during the year. As well, the most beer and wine would be finally fermented and ready for drinking. A time for celebration based upon the sun.

The early settlers
of the Arctic regions

In Canada's far north, the ancestors of our current Inuit people, were known as the Thule's. A fascinating history of ancients. Their name and history remains unknown to most Canadians, and I encourage you to discover more about them and the Dorset's...as they are important building blocks of our current indigenous people and there is no "ancestry.com" available for their history.

The Thule people spread from west to east. It is believed they had developed in coastal Alaska around 1000 AD and by the thirteenth century had spread across northern Canada and had reached Greenland. Their efficient use of housing helped their migration and their hunting methods improved with the use of dog sleds, umiaks, and kayaks. These enabled the hunters to travel further for their quarry following big game and sea mammals. After 1000 AD, their use of polished slate for tool making is well documented.

How does this affect my travel to Cambridge Bay? In many ways this trip will be quite different. Yes, it's still a trek to Canada's north with all that it entails..but I will be working alongside descendants of these highly intelligent, yet hardly known ancients. The Inuit have a rich history of traditions, much of which is still unknown to me and sometimes, difficult to understand. I respect these traditions and have had stories related to me based upon these beliefs.

While those descendants in the Arctic have unique characteristics and customs, everyone who lives there has an experience that few can relate to. During the period of time leading up to the winter solstice, the following has taken place. For the past two weeks, the sun has not risen past the horizon of Cambridge Bay for the hamlet is situated above the Arctic Circle. Yesterday, they had approximately an hour of dusk between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. It was the longest night of the year.

Now, until June 21, the days will become longer.  It will take a couple of weeks for the sun to once again rise above the horizon. Initially, I am told the dusk becomes slightly longer and more bright until the sun reaches the elevation needed to be seen again in CamBay. Before they lost their sun, I had been monitoring their daylight hours on a daily basis.

The current weather in Cambridge Bay on Dec 23, 2015

A month ago, they were losing about 15 minutes of daylight each and every day (almost two hours per week)....then no actual sunrise and now only dusk. My personal observations will begin, in earnest, in just 10 days. Based upon my calculations, by the time I leave at the beginning of February, I will get to experience the rising and setting of the sun in less than a four hour window.



This is just one of the strange, yet common occurrences, that takes place in the north. The longest night is over.  The longest day?.....hey, it's just six months away.  




Editor's Note: Merry Christmas to all my readers. This year Christmas boasts a full moon and it won't happen again until 2034.

Merry Christmas to all