Winter Solstice!!!

This is a megalithic site in Ireland, called Newgrange. It was built about 5,000 years ago (before the pyramids!). So what does this have to do with the winter solstice you ask...
Well, this ancient mound was built so that the winter solstice sunrise would light up the shaft and chambers. Basically it works like this: every winter solstice morning a shaft of sunlight shines through the roof box over the enterance and penetrates the passage to light up the chamber. This dramatic event lasts about 17 minutes. Only 50 lucky people are allowed to witness the event (out of 30,000 lottery applicants).

Other interesting winter solstice facts:
1. There is a whole series of medieval English carols on the subject of the rivalry between the holly and the ivy. In many of them, the holly and ivy symbolized male and female, and the songs narrated their often rowdy vying for mastery in the forest or in the house.
2. You may have heard of apple wassailing, the medieval winter festival custom of blessing the apple trees with songs, dances, decorations and a drink of cider to ensure their fertility. Here's another, more obscure tradition that most certainly predates Christmas, and was probably once a solstice ritual, because it is so linked to the themes of nature's rebirth and fertility.
3. A day to celebrate the rebirth of the sun!