pictures
by Arcimboldo, "The Seasons"
The turning of
the Seasons has been celebrated
ever since the dawn of time. The annual fluctuations
of warmth, rainfall and sunlight have often determined the livelihood of our ancestors, especially
those who have depended on agriculture. Most of us today lead lives
that are not directly influenced by these fluctuations, or are they? We
may not work in agriculture, but we are still subject to feelings of cold
and heat. True enough, you might have your airconditioner determining
the room temperature, but it is still the unconditioned climate that you
face again as soon as you go out of a building. We are still subject
to the ratio of light and dark hours in a day. Biologists assure
us that this affects our physical and mental system, and have labelled
the feelings of depression often felt during the winter season as Seasonal
Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Our secular patterns often reflect seasonal
patterns, for instance tourism and the school year are intrinsically seasonal
in nature. What about holidays like Christmas, which comes around
the Winter Solstice, and Easter which always occurs just after the Spring
Equinox?This ever-turning seasonal cycle has in the past acquired a huge amount of lore and tradition. Celebrations, mythology and religion have been weaved around them. However, having said that, why should we celebrate the turning of this wheel? |
© Michael
Deguara, kilin81@yahoo.com - Last
updated - 15 May 2003