The existence of the winter solstice is a great thing in principle because misery really is easier to bear when you know for a fact that it won’t last forever, but the fact that it’s on a precise timetable makes it weird. Knowing that it’s going to keep on getting steadily worse for exactly nine days and fourteen hours and not a moment longer creates some strange behavioural incentives, is what I mean to say.
We can joke all we like about how weird this or that midwinter tradition is, but sitting here clockwatching the turning of the fucking heavens, I get it. Putting a horse skull on top of your head and running around randomly challenging your neighbours to rap battles until they give you free booze to make you go away is a completely rational response.
Axial tilt is the reason for the season
amhrancas 