The beginning of winter is marked by the solstice, the shortest day of the year. Long ago, people grew afraid when each day had fewer hours of sunshine than the day before. Over time, they realized that one day each year the sun started moving toward them again. In lyrical prose and cozy illustrations, this book explains what the winter solstice is and how it has been observed by various cultures throughout history. Many contemporary holiday traditions were borrowed from ancient solstice celebrations.


冬至代表著冬季的開始，這是一年當中白晝最短的一天。很久以前，人們發現白天會一天比一天來的短，因此感到害怕。不過，隨著時間的推移，人們已了解，直到每年的某個日子，太陽又會重新慢慢靠近地球。透過如詩的小短文與溫馨的插圖，本書說明了什麼是冬至，以及不同文化在過去對冬至的觀察。今日許多的節日傳統便是因循古老的冬至慶典而來的呢！