Christmas recognizes the birthday of Jesus Christ. And Passover symbolizes a segment of the book of Exodus in the Old Testament. There are, however, special days of the year that stand out simply because of where they fall in the calendar. The seasonal cycle is created by the tilt of the earth's axis, leaning either toward or away from the sun.
Solstices mark the extreme points, when the days and nights are shortest or longest.
On equinoxes, the days and nights are of equal length. The midpoints between each solstice and equinox also serve as natural turning points in the earth's rotation around the sun. These eight days form the spokes of the wheel of the year and symbolize an annual, microcosmic life span. Almost every culture on earth has a different date to mark the start of the new year. H. Byron Ballard is a Dianic High Priestess in the order of Ianna and a member of local Wiccan coven Notre Dame de l'Herbe Mouillee.