Having just endured the longest night of the year, our daylight will gradually lengthen until the summer solstice, on or about June 21; this reflects the tilt of the Earth's axis, causing the Northern Hemisphere to receive increasingly direct solar radiation through the period. Of course, the sun angle will remain too low to provide significant warmth at our latitude for another two months and there will be plenty more winter weather before spring takes hold.
Even so, it is reassuring to know that the days will be lengthening. Humans are not naturally equipped for the cold and the dark. We evolved in the Tropics and, regardless of our personal preferences, we have a deep-seated connection to warm, sunny weather. Besides, with the exception of deep ocean ecosystems, all life on Earth is dependent on the sun. Primitive man, though devoid of scientific tools, knew this instinctively and marked the solstice with various rituals. Today, we understand the astronomical cause for the event but it is no less comforting.
