Thousands welcome winter solstice as Sun rises over Stonehenge
  • 146 points Hesitation-Marx

    The darkest of nights passes and the sun is reborn.

    Happy Solstice, everyone.

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    22 points maryjdatx

    "Well done, everyone! We're halfway out of the dark."

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    1 points Ok_Face8380

    Unless you live in the US

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  • 167 points fahimching

    It's fascinating to learn that the solstice was likely a more significant cultural event for the people who built Stonehenge than we often realize. Archaeologists have found evidence of winter pig feasts based on the animals' age . For them, this was the true time of rebirth and celebration.

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    94 points CellistSubstantial56

    For them, this was the true time of rebirth and celebration.

    Makes sense to me. I always look forward to it because it means the days start getting longer again.

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    8 points TheWhiteManticore

    Back in their days its hunkering down to store food or die of starvation over winter so…..

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    1 points Mcboatface3sghost

    So is it New Years Eve, or New Years Day?

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    47 points dyspnea

    It’s today. 12/21. Solstice is the reason for the season.

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    4 points ITAdministratorHB

    Longest day yesterday for me! Tho... it was a cloudy one unfortunately

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    1 points Mcboatface3sghost

    Thank you.

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    0 points [deleted]

    [deleted]

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    1 points Impossible_Run1867

    lol, saying “it just became Christmas” is one way to put it

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  • 36 points bmtri

    Where the chlildren dance to the pipes of Pan?

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    19 points 02K30C1

    Nobody knows who they were or what they were doing

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    16 points A_Refill_of_Mr_Pibb

    enormously tiny rock gets lowered to the stage

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    7 points bmtri

    Having just watched Spinal Tap 2 and mourning Rob Reiner's passing I'm so reminded of this.

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    4 points tegeus-Cromis_2000

    I really hope they all intertwined arms and sang that as the sun rose. It's the world Stonehenge anthem.

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  • 45 points WakeUpFriendly

    We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that, even on the darkest nights, there is hope in the new dawn.

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    -42 points Option94

    Not even queen Elizabeth is old enough for Stonehenge. Although she was alive and queen for a shocking amount of history.

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    12 points OrangeRadiohead

    What a weird statement to make. What was your intent behind it? Perhaps that's become lost.

    NB. Is = present tense.

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  • 40 points nowutz

    Congratulations to people celebrating something that’s actually real. It gives me hope to see ancient traditions find a foothold again, after 100s of years of Christian and Muslum churches murdering anyone who would not subjugate themselves to the cult.

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    14 points External-Praline-451

    I agree, but people have been celebrating solstice at Stone Henge for as long as I can remember, and I'm old! So not just a recent thing.

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    3 points nowutz

    Certainly. I wonder if they keep a count year-to-year. 8,500 people seems like a lot!

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    6 points salizarn

    Meh I expect the druids or whoever sacrificed a few people too

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  • 3 points JAFO444

    I just welcome longer days and warner weather!!!!

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  • 3 points nicetriangle

    I live somewhere pretty far north and also very gloomy this time of year and solstice for me is one of the most important dates of the year because it means we've hit the absolute worst of it and it's all better from here.

    The cold weather I can deal with but the 4:30 sunset fucking suuuucks.

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  • 3 points compuwiza1

    I hope it wasn't trampled by a dwarf.

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  • 4 points turbohydrate

    Why isn’t the next day (22nd), the day after the shortest day, the start of the solar new year the auspicious dawn to celebrate?

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    13 points Front_Requirement598

    For the next few days the sun will continue to rise and set in the same place. It is now 'stuck', thus the sun-stop reference. Then, on the 3rd day, the 25th, the sun will rise slightly back towards the summer solstice and starting its 182 day journey to June 24th. St. John's Day (John the Baptist/Jesus' cousin).

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    -21 points Shas_Erra

    Because an Egyptian Sun worshipping cult spread through the Middle East and took over Europe, ushering in more than a thousand years of stagnation and oppression, while simultaneously assimilating and repurposing millennia of tradition and superstition?

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    15 points MuteTheNews

    Jesse what the fuck are you talking about

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    -2 points ITAdministratorHB

    Please post more about this, I'd be keen to hear your theories :)

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  • 1 points zamboni-jones

    It's good of Hideo Kojima to take time out of his busy schedule to write this article for us.

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  • 0 points [deleted]

    [deleted]

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  • 0 points PlayedUOonBaja

    If I was going to do something like this, I'd much rather visit one of the other 7 lesser known ancient stone circles in the UK. That many people ruin it.

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