WINTER BLOWS AND HEALTHY LIVING

Winter solstice is because of the earth's tilt, hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun and therefore--the daylight is the shortest and the sun has its lowest arc in the sky. When it's winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun is directly overhead at noon only along the Tropic of Capricorn and in case of Southern Hemisphere it is only along the Tropic of Cancer.

Winter storm:
Winter storms are among nature's most common phenomenon. Their combination of heavy snow, freezing rain, and high winds can totally disrupt modern civilization: closing down airports and roads, creating power outages, and downing telephone lines. Winter storms remind us how vulnerable we are to nature's awesome power.

These storms derive their energy from the clash of two air masses of substantially different temperatures and moisture levels. In North America, winter storms usually form when an air mass of cold, dry, Canadian air moves south and interacts with a warm, moist air mass moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. The point where these two air masses meet is called a front. If cold air advances and pushes away the warm air, it forms a cold front. When warm air advances, it rides up over the denser, cold air mass to form a warm front. If neither air mass advances, it forms a stationary front.
 

Winter storms usually form along a stationary front. An area of lower pressure develops along the front as the atmosphere tries to even out the pressure difference. This creates wind, which blows from high pressure towards low pressure, in an attempt to move enough air to even out the pressure difference. As the air moves toward the low-pressure area, it has nowhere to go but up into the colder regions of the atmosphere. This causes water vapor in the air to condense. To the north of the storm, where temperatures are colder, this condensed water falls as snow. To the south, if the temperatures are warm enough, it can fall as heavy rain in thunderstorms.

Over North America, strong winds blowing from west to east usually move a winter storm quickly across the continent. That's why a winter storm rarely lasts more than a day in one area. One exception to this rule occurs downwind of major bodies of water like the Great Lakes. If a strong, cold wind blows over a great length of unfrozen water, the air can acquire substantial amount of moisture. This moisture turns into heavy snow when it reaches land. These "lake-effect" snowstorms can last for many days and dump huge amounts of snow Over North America, strong winds blowing from west to east usually move a winter storm quickly across the continent.


Solstice ceremonies

Many, many cultures the world over perform solstice ceremonies. At their root: an ancient fear that the failing light would never return unless humans intervened with anxious vigil or antic celebration.

Chanukah--The Festival of Lights, is a joyous celebration of miracle of the oil that burned for eight days celebrated on the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar (November/December).

Kwanzaa--It is an African-American holiday about the festival of the first harvest of the crops. It begins on December 26 and lasts for seven days. The name Kwanzaa, sometimes spelled Kwanza, means "first fruits" in Swahili, an East African language.
Ramadan—It is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. During the month, Muslims fast (do not eat) from sunrise to sunset. In the evening and morning before the sun comes up, they eat small meals. During this month, they take extra time for family, inner reflection, and spiritual growth.

Family fertility ritual (Romania)- Custom of blessing the apple trees with songs, dances, decorations and a drink of cider to ensure their fertility.

Native Americans had winter solstice rites: Solstices are tremendously important to them, and the winter solstice celebration lasted several days.

Yalda-- Observe In Iran in which families kept vigil through the night and fires burned brightly to help the sun (and Goodness) battle darkness (thought evil).
Dong Zhi—In China winter solstice is called Dong Zhi, "The Arrival of Winter." The cold of winter made an excellent excuse for a feast, so that's how the Chinese observed it, with Ju Dong, "doing the winter."

Dirty Air & Precaution:

Winter weather in many regions means closing the windows, weather-stripping the leaky doors and hunkering down on the sofa with your pets at your feet, a good book in your hands and a cozy wood fire in the fireplace.

Unfortunately, those pets shed. And that cozy wood fire emits particles from smoke and unseen vapors. Without proper cleaning, indoor air can become populated by the particles that make life uncomfortable or even unhealthy, especially for those with allergies or asthma. With homes tightly sealed during the winter to prevent cold air from getting in, air quality inside most homes --already laden year round with a variety of pollutants such as dust, pollen and smoke -- can get even worse.

It’s enough to make you cough. But don’t panic. By taking a few simple steps, you can improve your indoor air quality and make your home cleaner and cozier. Here are some solutions from the Home Comfort Institute at Trane, the leading maker of energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, to help you improve your home air quality during the cold winter months.