December 25 is the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton.

Also: Merry Christmas
Happy Chanukah
Joyous Kwanza
Superb Saturnalia
Delightful Diwali

Couldn't find an Islamic festival celebrating the return of the sun.
Any info out there?

And a happy, healthy and prosperous New Yeat to all!

Persephone

Persephone wrote in message
...

December 25 is the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton.

Also: Merry Christmas
Happy Chanukah
Joyous Kwanza
Superb Saturnalia
Delightful Diwali

Couldn't find an Islamic festival celebrating the return of the sun.
Any info out there?


The Islamic calendar is entirely lunar in nature, so the holy days change
through the solar year.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Persephone posted:
And a happy, healthy and prosperous New Yeat to all!

____Reply Separator_____

And a happy New Yeat to you too!

"Pete Kruzer" wrote in news:1135630386.110912.175740
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Persephone posted:
And a happy, healthy and prosperous New Yeat to all!

____Reply Separator_____

And a happy New Yeat to you too!



yeah okay, nobody likes a smatt alex.

You forgot the winter soltise.
Chuckie in the ever amazing frozen north, zone 5

And Boxing Day.

On 27 Dec 2005 04:48:23 -0800, "Chuckie"
wrote:

You forgot the winter soltise.
Chuckie in the ever amazing frozen north, zone 5

C'mon Chuckie, that's what the whole thing is about!
All traditions make lights to beg the sun to return, when it hits its
low point at -- you guessed it! -- the Winter Solstice.

Persephone

The winter soltise is a druid holiday
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

On 28 Dec 2005 15:29:30 -0800, "Chuckie"
wrote:

The winter soltise is a druid holiday
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

Wrongie, Chuckie. The Winter Solstice
is an astronomical phenomenon:
In layman's terms, the day is at its shortest.

What different cultures, including the Druids,
do at the Solstice is another matter.

Persephone

You got me there
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 07:55:27 -0800, Persephone wrote:

On 28 Dec 2005 15:29:30 -0800, "Chuckie"
wrote:

The winter soltise is a druid holiday
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

Wrongie, Chuckie. The Winter Solstice
is an astronomical phenomenon:
In layman's terms, the day is at its shortest.

What different cultures, including the Druids,
do at the Solstice is another matter.

Persephone


And to add further to the Winter Solstice (which was my 50th birthday)

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

On December 21st, the sun reaches its nadir on this travels across
Earth's horizons, an event we call the Winter Solstice. The Sun
appears to hesitate for the next three days before beginning its
six-month return to zenith on June 21st, which we call the Summer
Solstice.

In ancient times it was believed that the Sun began is ascent exactly
at midnight three days after the Solstice. Though there were no clocks
in those days, our ancestor' method of calculating that precise moment
was accurate. The same method is not quite as accurate today, due to
the slight shift in the heavenly bodies. This ancient method is as
follows:

At nightfall on December 24th, in the eastern sky you will see three
prominent stars. These are the belt of the constellation of Orion.
These stars are often called the Three Wise Magicians, or the Three
Kings of the Orient. If you imagine a straight line through these
stars towards the east, you will come to a point on the horizon that
the Egyptians, in 2000BCE called "Aptah", which means "crib or
cradle". It is exactly at this point that in a very short time the
brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius, will appear. The place of
Sirius' emergence marks the exact spot where the Sun will make its
appearance at dawn.

The birth place of the newborn Sun is in the foreground of the
constellation of Virgo, the Virgin. The constellation of Taurus, the
Bull, and Capricorn, the Goat, are situated close by, which is why
this area of the sky was called "the Stable". So we have before us in
the winter sky the entire nativity scene: the three kings of the
Orient pointing to a star that marks the precise birthplace of the
infant God-King, born of a virgin in a celestial stable.

The ancients charted the travel of the star Sirius as it moved
westward. At the mid-point of its travels, it marks the rebirth of the
night Sun at midnight of December 25th, the beginning of many gay
festivities and celebration, then just like today. To our ancestors
this meant the Sun had won out over Old Man Winter, that all life
would be saved by its warm, life-giving rays. The Sun had experienced
death for three days, but on December 25th it was resurrected, reborn
on Natalis Solis Invicti, "The Birth of the Unconquered Sun."
"Christ's Mass or Christmas", really means "Sun's Mass." The title
Christ may be traced to the Chaldean "Chris" a name of the Sun. Its
Hebrew equivalent, "Heres" occurs several times in the Old Testament
where it is always translated as "Sun".

Solar theology has inspired some religions to bolster their own
deities by borrowing from the power of the Sun, and much confusion
exists because of this practice. However, anyone can look for
themselves: on a December midnight clear, the truth is revealed. To
know that the Sun will bring us warmed, green crops, and renewed life
is certainly grounds for rejoicing.

Blessings to all

"Jangchub" wrote in message

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 07:55:27 -0800, Persephone wrote:

On 28 Dec 2005 15:29:30 -0800, "Chuckie"
wrote:

The winter soltise is a druid holiday
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

Wrongie, Chuckie. The Winter Solstice
is an astronomical phenomenon:
In layman's terms, the day is at its shortest.

What different cultures, including the Druids,
do at the Solstice is another matter.

Persephone


And to add further to the Winter Solstice (which was my 50th
birthday)

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

On December 21st, the sun reaches its nadir on this travels
across
Earth's horizons, an event we call the Winter Solstice. The Sun
appears to hesitate for the next three days before beginning
its
six-month return to zenith on June 21st, which we call the
Summer
Solstice.

In ancient times it was believed that the Sun began is ascent
exactly at midnight three days after the Solstice. Though there
were no clocks in those days, our ancestor' method of
calculating
that precise moment was accurate. The same method is not quite
as
accurate today, due to the slight shift in the heavenly bodies.
This ancient method is as follows:

At nightfall on December 24th, in the eastern sky you will see
three
prominent stars. These are the belt of the constellation of
Orion.
These stars are often called the Three Wise Magicians, or the
Three
Kings of the Orient. If you imagine a straight line through
these
stars towards the east, you will come to a point on the horizon
that
the Egyptians, in 2000BCE called "Aptah", which means "crib or
cradle". It is exactly at this point that in a very short time
the
brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius, will appear. The
place of
Sirius' emergence marks the exact spot where the Sun will make
its
appearance at dawn.

The birth place of the newborn Sun is in the foreground of the
constellation of Virgo, the Virgin. The constellation of
Taurus, the
Bull, and Capricorn, the Goat, are situated close by, which is
why
this area of the sky was called "the Stable". So we have
before us
in the winter sky the entire nativity scene: the three kings of
the
Orient pointing to a star that marks the precise birthplace of
the
infant God-King, born of a virgin in a celestial stable.

The ancients charted the travel of the star Sirius as it moved
westward. At the mid-point of its travels, it marks the rebirth
of
the night Sun at midnight of December 25th, the beginning of
many
gay festivities and celebration, then just like today.

What gay festivals?


To our ancestors this meant the Sun had won out over Old Man
Winter, that
all life would be saved by its warm, life-giving rays. The Sun
had
experienced death for three days, but on December 25th it was
resurrected, reborn on Natalis Solis Invicti, "The Birth of the
Unconquered Sun." "Christ's Mass or Christmas", really means
"Sun's
Mass." The title Christ may be traced to the Chaldean "Chris" a
name of the Sun. Its Hebrew equivalent, "Heres" occurs several
times in the Old Testament where it is always translated as
"Sun".

Solar theology has inspired some religions to bolster their own
deities by borrowing from the power of the Sun, and much
confusion
exists because of this practice. However, anyone can look for
themselves: on a December midnight clear, the truth is
revealed. To
know that the Sun will bring us warmed, green crops, and
renewed
life is certainly grounds for rejoicing.

Blessings to all

--


Travis in Shoreline Washington

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 05:02:10 GMT, "Travis M."
wrote:

"Jangchub" wrote in message

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 07:55:27 -0800, Persephone wrote:

On 28 Dec 2005 15:29:30 -0800, "Chuckie"
wrote:

The winter soltise is a druid holiday
Chuckie in the frozen north, zone 5

Wrongie, Chuckie. The Winter Solstice
is an astronomical phenomenon:
In layman's terms, the day is at its shortest.

What different cultures, including the Druids,
do at the Solstice is another matter.

Persephone


And to add further to the Winter Solstice (which was my 50th
birthday)

Mazal tov!

[...fascinating astronomical discourse...]

The ancients charted the travel of the star Sirius as it moved
westward. At the mid-point of its travels, it marks the rebirth
of
the night Sun at midnight of December 25th, the beginning of
many
gay festivities and celebration, then just like today.

What gay festivals?

Believe it or not, there was a time when "gay" meant happy, cheerful.

To our ancestors this meant the Sun had won out over Old Man
Winter, that
all life would be saved by its warm, life-giving rays. The Sun
had
experienced death for three days, but on December 25th it was
resurrected, reborn on Natalis Solis Invicti, "The Birth of the
Unconquered Sun." "Christ's Mass or Christmas", really means
"Sun's
Mass." The title Christ may be traced to the Chaldean "Chris" a
name of the Sun. Its Hebrew equivalent, "Heres" occurs several
times in the Old Testament where it is always translated as
"Sun".

Can you give the Hebrew letters for "Heres" and some idea where in the
Hebrew Bible it appears?

I thought "Sun" was "Shamash".

Solar theology has inspired some religions to bolster their own
deities by borrowing from the power of the Sun, and much
confusion
exists because of this practice.

Not in the minds of the retailers, who stand to make 1/3 of their
annual nut by appropriating the date as a Christian holy day.
Which many Christians, alas, no longer celebrate as a religious
event but rather a shopping event.

However, anyone can look for
themselves: on a December midnight clear, the truth is
revealed. To
know that the Sun will bring us warmed, green crops, and
renewed
life is certainly grounds for rejoicing.

Blessings to all

There is an astronomical term which I can't remember -- something like
"alemna"??? It explains why the days get longer (after the Winter
Solstice) FASTER than they got shorter before the Solstice. I
looked this up once, because I had always THOUGHT this was
the case, and it was confirmed.

Anybody?

"Travis M." expounded:

What gay festivals?

Gay as in happy, Travis. Get your head out of the gutter ;-
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

"Ann" wrote in message

"Travis M." expounded:

What gay festivals?

Gay as in happy, Travis. Get your head out of the gutter ;-

We saw Brokeback Mountain today. Great movie.

--


Travis in Shoreline Washington