3rd January 2019 is
Winter Solstice and a Happy Nyinglog to everyone.
Winter Solstice has been
celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years.
The
start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun.
In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.
Winter
solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the shortest day and the longest
night of the year.
In
the Northern Hemisphere this is the December solstice and in the Southern
Hemisphere it is June solstice.
The length of the day in
Bhutan is around 9 hours 26 minutes where as in Rovaniemi (Finland) it is 2
hours 16 minutes and in Ushuaia (Argentina) 17 hours 20 minutes.
In Bhutan, the winter
solstice is called Nyilog that literally means “the return of the sun.” It is
the day that the amount of daily sunlight increases, signifying the start of
longer days. It is considered to be the most auspicious day of the year for
Bhutanese.
The people have
traditionally believed that on Nyilog, past mistakes may be erased and karmic
value of good deeds is multiplied. However, if resort to bad deeds, that too
have multiplying effect. So please ensure No fights, no quarrels, No gossip, No
killing, No cheating etc. Also avoid giving money.
Particularly, in the
villages of Wangdue phodrang and Trongsa, winter solstice is an important day
for which elaborate preparations are made to celebrate the occasion. This marks
the end of previous year and beginning of New Year.
Some
senior Bhutanese say that on this day, they all get one year older, but one can
avoid the passage of time by hiding in the basement of houses.
Even during Zhabdrung
Rinpoche’s reign and also in the period of Desi ’s rule, the New Year in the
documents was recorded on the day of Nyinglog.
On this day, elderly
people visit religious landmarks and monasteries. Butter lamps are lit all over
the country with the belief that the merits of the people that light them will
be magnified.
Young Bhutanese in-group
goes door-to-door singing songs of best wishes for the New Year, and in return
they get food and money. Many families have verities of feast on this day.
Apart from Haa and Paro,
the valleys of Shar (Wangduephordang district) and the Hen kha speaking part of
Mangde valley (Trongsa) observe Nyinlog and pray their village deities as Lha
Bon. This is obviously a Bon tradition, which was adapted to the Buddhist
system of Lunar Calendar.
The Winter solstice was
also a convenient period form a major celebration as the crops have been
harvested and stored up in the houses. With adequate food in reserve and
beginning of the dry season of winter, it was a good time for fun and merry
making.
Have
a nice Day and Happy Nyinglog 2019.
