Hey, Flashy Folks!
Is it just me or is it getting darker outside earlier? It seems that ever since Halloween night—October 31—the sun sets in the late afternoon instead of its typical mid-evening time. The days seem to be shortening and I suddenly seem to be using a lot more electricity for lighting. I’m beginning to fear that the sun may continue to grow more and more distant until one day it blips entirely out of sight. 
What’s that? Oh! It’s just Daylight Savings? Phew! What a relief!
Yes, that makes much more sense. The cycle of our years mean that the days get shorter in the fall and winter, culminating in the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year. Today is that day. Located on the opposite side of the year from the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, the Winter Solstice is the day with the least amount of daylight.
A magical day of the year, the Winter Solstice reminds us of how harsh and unforgiving Mother Nature can be. Especially in locations up north—like us at Everything Summer Camp in Northern Wisconsin—Winter Solstices are always cold, dark, and typically covered in ice and snow.
This year, we’ll see just under nine hours of daylight in Boyd, Wisconsin where Everything Summer Camp is located (roughly the same amount as New York City). If you travel to Helsinki, Finland, you’ll be getting something shy of six hours of daylight! That’s less than a typical day of work or school. But at least that’s better than nothing! In Barrow, Alaska, they don’t even see a sunrise!
And since it’s the darkest day of the year, it would only make sense that National Flashlight Day would coincide. A handy item to have around in our dark winter days, it’s a good idea today to test your flashlights to make sure the batteries are still good. Be sure everyone knows where the flashlights are kept in your household. And remember to keep a flashlight in your vehicles as well.
It’s the holiday season, so let your hearts be…LIGHT and make the darkest night of the year the warmest and brightest. Peruse our selection of flashlights, headlamps, lanterns, and more when you click right here! Happy National Flashlight Day and a magical Winter Solstice, Everybody! As always, thanks for reading!
- John