One staple of winter that affects every single one of us is the consistent and gradual shortening of daylight hours and elongating of the night. It is almost disorienting when you look at the clock and see it is only a quarter past five and have it be nearly pitch black outside. 

For many, this feeling is the cause of what is now commonly referred to as “seasonal depression” – and it’s no joke. At times, it feels like more than just darkness; it is advanced darkness. Thankfully, though, tomorrow’s winter solstice finally marks the beginning of the return of longer daylight hours. Ironically enough, it also marks the official start of winter. It is strange that these two facts can coincide.

But the strangeness doesn’t end there! The 21st of December at around 4:20 a.m. is when our North Pole is the furthest away from the Sun throughout its annual celestial course. Even more mind boggling, this would make it summertime in the Southern Hemisphere, as the South Pole is the closest it will be to the center of our Solar System.

Of course, as is the general rule, once it has reached its furthest point, it can only now come closer. Following this inevitable trend, the long days of summer are now on their way to returning once again, but we do have a few months before the mere two to three minutes gained per day add up.

But the minutes eventually do add up, and in the blink of an eye, it’ll be 7 p.m. and still bright out. So in the meantime, try to find coziness in the darker days with a good book or a heated blanket. After all, winter may seem like its devoid of light, but there is great joy to be found hidden just out of sight.