Stonehenge was positioned on a site-line that points to sunset on the winter solstice to celebrate the shortest day and longest night. I suppose that makes it the world’s largest clock.
The winter solstice has long been a symbol of new beginnings. After this, the days gradually lengthen until the summer solstice, when the cycle moves into reverse.
My entry for this week’s photo challenge: time shows photographers jostling to capture sunrise on the winter solstice. It’s a modern way of celebrating an ancient tradition.
Susan Rushton 
Ooh, I had a funny turn then. I thought I must have slept through the last six weeks and missed Christmas and January.
I spent midsummer solstice at Montsegur one year, a similarly iconic site in France. I promised myself (and didn’t keep the promise) that another year, I would visit on the day before, or the day after, to avoid that dreadful throng.
Crowds are an acquired taste, that’s for sure.
That photo is funny 🙂 Would love to visit Stonehenge one day
I hope you make it. Avebury is my favourite so far – it has a gentler feel. Stonehenge is more awesome.
I’m just glad today is 1 minute and 52 seconds longer than yesterday, and tomorrow is 1 minute 54 seconds longer than today. Hurry up spring!
You inspired me to check out our day length – it was 9 hrs, 20 mins and 6 seconds. That’s not great, is it?
I never would have imagined a scene like this but it only stands to reason. How long I have wanted to see just this. And you’ve share it with us!
I’m not sure what I’d been expecting, but you’re right, it probably wasn’t this!
There is something ironic in that photo. What would the ancients think of us?
A layer of the irony is that I’m just one of the throng…
🙂
Can you imagine the comments of the original builders if they could see this scene?! Great choice
I’d guess they’d be pleased to see it’s still there, still interacting with nature as it was meant to and focussing our attention: less happy their sacred mysteries were not being respected. And they’d probably all want a camera!
Love this.
It doesn’t look very, um, spiritual. More of a rugby scrum! A great take on the ‘time’ theme though.
Though I’m taking a few liberties, the sun part is still spiritual. We can trust to nature for that!
Good point. I guess it’s what you make it!
Now that is a thousand word picture.
I like this picture. Depicts quite a difference between the ancients time piece and the modern technical gadgets. How those original thinkers were able to pinpoint that “clock” on that exact day is a mystery to me!
Summer solstice in Oz 21 December… have a look, The Sun rises out of Eerwah and nobody knows. When I was a young man, a long long time ago I stayed on a mates farm in Pewsey! his fathers farm took in Stonehenge, he had wheat planted all around it. We played games around the stones climbing all over them. It’s the same with Eerwah, you must have a look, tell me what u think