The shortest day in the desert will happen on December 21st—it’s called WINTER SOLSTICE.

Winter Solstice is a day that happens every year and has for centuries. Winter Solstice happens when the Earth’s poles is at a tilt that is furthest away from the sun. It is when the sun travels its shortest path through the sky—and the shortest path means the sun isn’t out for very long.

This affects you because you live in the Northern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere is located on the side of the Earth that is tilted away from the sun so we feel colder weather. Colder weather happens because the sun is further away from us. And since we are further away from the sun on December 21st we experience the shortest day of the year.

What does the shortest day of the year mean? It means the sun goes down at 5:28pm. It also means a new season is upon us.

Name all the things you know about winter.

•  What are all the things you will do on this Mid-Winter’s Day?
  • Can you make a journal and log your day?
  • write down everything you do,
  • everything you eat,
  • everything you say,
  • everything you hear,
  • everything you notice?
  • Can you write it all down for December 21st?
• What will you do on the shortest day in the desert?
  • You can go for a walk and look at the trees—where did their leaves go?
  • You could stay home and look out the window and study the sky—how do the clouds look?
  • You could remember the light:
  • What are your favorite kinds of lights?
  • Sunlight?
  • Starlight?
  • Moonlight?
  • Your nightlight?
  • A flashlight?
  • What are other lights you can think of?