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some yuletide thoughts Without a hint of sun this morning, I can fully understand why Europeans centuries ago used to build bonfires at this time of year. They certainly needed something to add life to what for them had to be a miserable month of cold and darkness. Food had to be in shortage and once the sun went down, there probably wasn't much that they could do to pass the time. Maybe they sat around a fire and told stories. Maybe they wondered what made the earth turn so cold. I don't know the answers to these questions, so I often wonder what life was like for people during winter centuries ago. Today isn't nearly as awful. We have the convenience of abundant heat and light to make things more comfortable. It doesn't matter that the sun shines for less than twelve hours if at all. It doesn't matter that the temperature doesn't rise above the freezing mark for days if not weeks at a time. Modern technology has sheltered most people from such concerns. Plus putting those things aside, I also see the modern holiday season as a way of coping with the less than pleasant weather despite people's particular religious leanings or lack of faith. All of this activity gives people a place to focus their energy instead of on the weather. Perhaps my way of thinking is oversimplifying matters, but at the same time I suspect that humanity as a whole really hasn't changed that much over time. People still get depressed without sunlight. People still need to be well fed and warm. Winter as a whole has the same effect on people as it did long before there was the internet and television to distract them. |