Re: OT: Christmas/Holidays

On 12/27/05, Tristan McLeay <conlang@...> wrote:
>
> I was of the understanding that starting Winter on the solstice was an
> American thing, and that Europe (or at the very least the British and
> Irish) considered it to begin at least at the start of December, if not
> earlier---certainly in Australia, summer is considered to start on the
> first of December and last to the last of Feburary (and the simple
> inverse in the northern hemisphere: if anyone asked I would say the 3rd
> of December was winter in America).

 I specifically said "astronomy" for that reason.  In the Western tradition
of astronomy, the seasons begin on the equinoxes and solstices; this is not
an American thing but one that predates the European settling of America.
Other traditions, including Eastern astronomy and Western non-astronomical
usage, have other definitions.

After all, is not an old-fashioned name for the summer solstice "Midsummer's
> day"?

Well, sure.  But if you're using old-fashioned nomenclature,  old Anglo
Saxon tradition recognized no season between summer and winter, either. :)


(BTW: Today is actually the 27th of December---though it is the Boxing
> Day public holiday ;)

My greeting was a little late for ye folks on the far side of the globe from
here, 'tis true.  So how come your Boxing day on the 27th while the UK's is
on the 26th?

--
Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>

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