I admit it. The winter solstice is the most important day of the year for me. More than a birthday (including my own). More than a traditional holiday.
The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol” for sun and “stit” (sistere) for “stopped.” So the solstice marks the time when the sun “stands still.” It’s when the North Pole is tilted farthest away from the sun. When the days turn. When the sunlight reverses.