Ben Lowry: The worst point in the calendar is over and daylight is returning

Early December ought to be the gloomiest time of the year.
Looking out across Belfast Lough from Crawfordsburn Country Park at dusk on December 20 2019, at almost the darkest point in the calendarLooking out across Belfast Lough from Crawfordsburn Country Park at dusk on December 20 2019, at almost the darkest point in the calendar
Looking out across Belfast Lough from Crawfordsburn Country Park at dusk on December 20 2019, at almost the darkest point in the calendar

The days are horribly short, and getting shorter. A long, gruelling winter lies ahead.

Have you heard the phrase ‘Ne’er cast a clout til May is out?’

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The wisdom of that saying has been burned into my memory for many years, since I stood outside on a bitterly cold May day during a protest by journalists. I remember thinking: we are supposed to be on the verge of summer.

Therefore in December it is still another six long months ahead before we can be confident of reasonably warm conditions.

And yet early December is not in fact gloomy, due to the seasonal festivities.

While the hours of daylight are limited, it does also often seem to be sunny, for reasons that have never been explained to me.

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Or perhaps it is just an illusion, and we notice sunny December days more than other sunny days, due to the low angle of the sunlight, and the unusual way it can penetrate some rooms.

This December has had plenty of sunny days (as well as plenty of rainy ones).

Yesterday, when I was not working and visited Crawfordsburn Country Park with relatives, it was one of the brighter recent days.

As the sun faded. pictured above, it was almost the darkest point in the calendar, just before today, the shortest of the year.

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But the still blue sky made it seem even more optimistic than an average winter solstice, which in any event I always find a happy time.

Now the light is returning and by one measure — hours of daylight — the worst moment of the four seasons is already past.

Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter deputy editor

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