I learned something recently that I found interesting.
Around Harrisburg, the earliest sunset of the year is not the winter solstice, as I had long believed, but two weeks earlier, on Dec. 7.
This news made me feel a little bit better about this time of year.
As long-time readers of TheBurg may know, winter is not exactly my favorite season. Yes, the cold and wind get me down sometimes, but the lack of light has an even greater impact on my wellbeing.
A pre-5 p.m. sunset—a long day of work ended in darkness. Yuck.
But, by Dec. 9, the descent has stopped and reversed, and we’re treated to a whole three seconds more light at the end of the day. I think that’s something worth celebrating!
I hope you’ll find our December issue equally worth celebrating. As we normally do, we put try to put some seasonal cheer into your lives with an additional focus on holiday features and events.
In addition, I’d like to reiterate my call from last month to please support our local makers and merchants as much as possible this year. My hope is that there’s an upside from the global supply disruption—that people will seek out gift items made and sold close to home.
After all, why buy stuff shipped from halfway around the world when you can purchase things made right here, in and around central PA? You may need to get more creative, but, to me, that’s the fun part of the holiday shopping experience.
Now, here’s another thing I learned recently. While later sunsets begin two weeks before the solstice, mornings still get darker. Sunrises continue to be later for another two weeks after the solstice, before finally switching gears for good in early January.
Mother Nature, it seems, needs to balance herself out, much like we all do during this glorious, if stressful, time of the year. Happy holidays, everyone!
Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
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