Winter Solstice

[Raydar]

So... Normally, winter doesn't bother me so much. But the older I get, the more that changes.
Today is the Winter Solstice. It's 4 days until Christmas, The "Christmas Star" will appear this evening, in the form of a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.
Although it is officially the first day of winter, and the day with the shortest period of daylight, the days will now start getting "longer".
Come on, Spring!

[Wreck It Ralph]

I like getting up and getting home when it’s light. This dark and dark makes me feel overworked.

[Fierofool]

After December 22, you will have enough extra time to brush your teeth again while it's still daylight.  The days get longer by an average of 2 minutes and 7 seconds after the Solstice.  Though the Solstice is on the 21st, the 22nd is actually the day with the least sunlight and the most darkness in the Northern Hemisphere. 

I would prefer we stay on Daylight Savings Time with longer daylight hours in the evening.  I think there are few, other than hunters and fishermen, who get up well before sunup and are outside.  More people have things to do requiring sunlight after they get off work than before they go to work. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Raydar, you may look into "grounding".  It' new age stuff.  Wear a bracelet, walk around in bare feet, and such things.  It does seem to help with pain, arthritis, mood, and other things.

I can never recall which is the "correct" time.  Farmers used to have to get up early.  The day started at 5am, meaning you were dressed and ready, and starting work.  My day started with breakfast.

The extra dark makes people feel depressed.  Naturally, humans mostly slept during the winter.  Think bears and Native Americans.  What we do now is unnatural, and messes with our mind.  Hence, more suicides at this time of year.

[Fierofool]

.................Snip
Naturally, humans mostly slept during the winter.
.................Snip

That being the primary reason there were more births during the summer months.   

[GTRS Fiero]

Ha, ha.  Actually, I had the father of a girl I was dating make an interesting observation along those lines.  Not something to post, though.

[The Art Doctor]

Caught the Saturn and Jupiter thing tonight.  Hard to see that kind of stuff in the city. Too many trees and light not to mention airplanes.  Been getting closer for a week. Hoped to catch with telescope but missed it tonight, will try again tomorrow earlier. Should still be close for a few more days.  First time to be seen in 800 years.  If you miss it it will be 400 before it happens again.

[Raydar]

I would prefer we stay on Daylight Savings Time with longer daylight hours in the evening.  I think there are few, other than hunters and fishermen, who get up well before sunup and are outside.  More people have things to do requiring sunlight after they get off work than before they go to work.

I agree. (Permanent Daylight Saving Time. This was actually proposed in FL, a while back, but I don't think it went anywhere.)
 
When I used to drive downtown, before the age of COVID teleworking, I found that the extra daylight in the AM was just wasted. I can drive to work in the dark as easily as I can in the light of dawn.
On the other hand (as you already said) there are things that could get done, after work, if there was one more hour of daylight.

What I find, now, is that I start looking around, wondering if it's time to go to bed, and then realize that it's only 8 PM. (It's already been dark for at least two hours, at this time of year.)

Edit - As I mentioned, I am now a permanent teleworker. Even after COVID goes away.  Our management decided that they (as well as the people who we support) are happy with the job we are doing. (Not to mention all the $$$ they are saving on floor space in midtown. Right?)
That being the case (since I finish at ~3 PM, as always) I actually have two hours of daylight to get stuff done. You would think that it would help. But it doesn't. Not really.

2nd edit - We caught the Jupiter/Saturn convergence, too. Pretty cool. After this week, it will be a long while before it happens again. (Some people are describing a bunch of "astral energy"(?) associated with this. I don't necessarily subscribe to that, but it is cool to look at.) I can appreciate how it may have been a significant/religious event, back in the day, but understanding the science of it tends to minimize that. (Has science made me cynical?) 

[GTRS Fiero]

I would prefer we stay on Daylight Savings Time with longer daylight hours in the evening.  I think there are few, other than hunters and fishermen, who get up well before sunup and are outside.  More people have things to do requiring sunlight after they get off work than before they go to work.

I agree. (Permanent Daylight Saving Time. This was actually proposed in FL, a while back, but I don't think it went anywhere.)
 

Florida did so propose.  It went nowhere, because it went against federal law.

Now, a bill is progressing through the Senate to make DST permanent.

[Raydar]

...
Now, a bill is progressing through the Senate to make DST permanent.

Personally, i hope that it happens.

Last I heard, just a couple days ago, Georgia was trying to put forth a bill that would make standard time permanent. NO DST.
What a freaking waste of afternoon sunlight.  (Of course, all the farmers who report to nobody but themselves are laughing at us. Whatever.)

[GTRS Fiero]

No, the farmers have issues with suppliers.  When you need cow feed, and the feed store opens at a different time, having to wait an hour is not fun.  Going home and driving back takes an hour.  The whole darn town is closed, so there isn't anything to do, other than shoot at stuff.  Meanwhile, an hour's worth of stuff isn't getting done.