Winter solstice (December 21st) is a big day for Alaskans. Although Solstice is technically the first day of winter, for many Alaskans it feels like the midpoint of the season. Once the days start getting longer, the end is in sight.
Everyone celebrates Solstice in their own way, even if it's just a sigh of relief upon waking on Sunday morning. Many adults hold their own solstice parties, either formally or informally. Hardy souls hike Flattop to celebrate. Typically, a small handful of people will extend the festivities by camping there overnight.
The solstice celebration may be one of the oldest holidays in the history of human civilization. Even the earliest cultures marked the return of daylight with relief:
Neolithic Ireland
Newgrange is a prehistoric earth work, which was built in Ireland at about the same time Stonehenge was built in England - between 3300 and 2900 BC. Newgrange is a long stone passage built below a huge earth mound, and used primarily for burial rites.
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