solstice news stories on Newser

In California, Devoted Await Solstice 'Illumination'

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:03:00 CST

Let there be light. Just after dawn on the winter solstice, a 200-year-old California mission is bathed in such a dazzling blaze of sunlight that the altar appears to burst into flames. It's an annual "illumination" that draws the devoted, presenting what some observers consider awesome "special effects," reports the...

Pagans, Hippies Celebrate Solstice at Stonehenge

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:15:18 CDT

More than 18,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate summer solstice, witnessing sunrise on the longest day of the year. The Telegraph ’s article on the event is full of fun little tidbits: The revelers are described as “an eclectic mix of sun worshippers, hippies, and pagans,” and a...

NYC Awestruck by 'Manhattan-henge'

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:17:00 CDT

Centuries from now historians will speculate about the ruins of a once-great city whose buildings lined up perfectly for a semi-annual celestial occurrence. But for now, New Yorkers merely stand, agog for once, awestruck by "Manhattan-henge." It's the twice-annual happening when skyscrapers are lined up just right to reveal the...

Scenes From Last Night's Eclipse

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 07:57:18 CST

Those of you who hit the hay early last night missed a show not to be seen on the winter solstice for another 84 years: The moon, hanging high in the sky, turned reddish and went dark for 72 minutes as the Earth eclipsed it, reports the AP. Click through...

What to Know for Tonight's Lunar Eclipse/Winter Solstice

Polly Davis Doig — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:02:27 CST

It's getting close to showtime, kids: The longest night of the year has begun (at least here on the East Coast), so bring on the first total lunar eclipse to coincide with the winter solstice since 1638 (NASA has apparently engaged in a bit of history-revision). Here's what you need...

Christmas Caroling: Quaint Tradition Begun By Drunks

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 08:48:45 CST

Cheerful church groups love Christmas caroling, but the tradition was actually started by a bunch of lushes. Back when "Christmas" was actually a celebration of the winter solstice, poor carolers would go from house to house singing ... and also threatening to break windows if they were not plied with food...

Christian Group Boycotts Gap Over Holiday Ads

Nick McMaster — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:15:36 CST

A Christian group has launched a boycott of the Gap over its religion-neutral holiday ads. The American Family Association, already ticked off by last year’s campaign, which wished consumers a “Merry Gap-mas,” hit the roof over this year's “Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go Solstice.” The tagline "looks like...

Solstice Shines at Stonehenge

Dustin Lushing — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:02:57 CDT

Spiritually inclined crowds converged on Stonehenge this morning to celebrate the summer solstice, greeting the dawn of the longest day of the year with dancing, drumming, and drinking. The mystical monument shone with floodlights and the glow of the rising sun as more than 20,000 druids, pagans, and other...