5 ms·

Are you American? I'm British but lived in the USA for several years, and I think there's a cultural difference here. Americans attach precise boundaries to the

Are you American? I'm British but lived in the USA for several years, and I think there's a cultural difference here. Americans attach precise boundaries to the seasons, whereas in Europe 'Winter' means something more like the part of the year that's normally cold.

mmarq 4y ago
In Europa proper, Winter is the period of the year between Dec 22nd and Mar 21st. In the UK, we have 5 months of Winter and 7 of Autumn, that move around the year like Ramadan.
- kordlessagain 4y ago
  Yeah, it's usually −171°C there by this time.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
  > 7 of Autumn I saw what you did, there… I lived in London, back in the 1970s, and can confirm. Generally, a rainy autumn. Sort of like Seattle, for the US folks familiar.
- kmlx 4y ago
  > In the UK, we have 5 months of Winter and 7 of Autumn, that has not been the case for the past few years. it’s getting hot much earlier.
- Y-bar 4y ago
  I'm European since the birth of my grand-grand-grand-parents and until today I had not heard of the "Dec 22nd and Mar 21st" version of winter. I have only ever heard of these two: - Calendar winter: December first to February last. - Metorological winter according to our meteorologists: "the period of the year where the daily average temperature is below zero degrees Celsius" [Sweden: https://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/arstider/vinter/vinter-1.22843 https://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/arstider/vint...] and [Norway: https://snl.no/vinter https://snl.no/vinter] Today I learned of a third definition.
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    'Winter' in calendar, solar terms in the Northern hemisphere , also called astronomical winter, starts on 21st December and ends on 20th March (there might be a one day shift now and then?). That is, the period from the winter solstice until the spring equinoxe. This is written on most calendars and that is what Google tells you when you look up 'winter'. I am flabbergasted that you never heard of that... Now, usually the other definition people use relates to their locate climate for practical purposes.
    - Y-bar 4y ago
      Funnily enough we call that first day date “Midwinter Day” or “middle of the winter-day” here. Maybe it it time to rename it to “Firstwinter Day”! ;)
      - mytailorisrich 4y ago
        Yes that's a customary name for the winter solstice. Like Midsummer for the summer solstice. As I wrote, in European tradition 'winter' starts much earlier than the winter solstice because quite obviously the cold and grey months start earlier. I am still puzzled that you never heard of 21st December being the beginning of the (astronomical) winter, like 21st June is beginning of summer, etc.
        Y-bar 4y ago
        Why would I ever have heard of it in the first place? It's not in use, not in social settings, not in official settings. Though I have learned it exists, and that some people _really_ like that definition. Reading this thread I am just as puzzled by you being puzzled, because I base my use of it on: - Official communication (e.g. with tax authorities) use december first as first day of winter quarter. - Social connotations use either a simplified version of the scientific/metrological definition (e.g. is it cold enough to be called winter yet? E.g. is it warm enough that winter has ended?) or calendar winter (dec-jan-feb). - Historical reasons, late December is literally called "middle of the winter". Same thing with summer, it officially begins on June 1st and the summer solstice marks the "middle of summer" the same way "Mittwoch" marks the middle of the week. - In the scientific literature I occasionally read (e.g. meteorology and biology) I read the definition is when the average daily temperature determines winter and never based on astronomy.

mmarq 4y ago

In Europa proper, Winter is the period of the year between Dec 22nd and Mar 21st. In the UK, we have 5 months of Winter and 7 of Autumn, that move around the year like Ramadan.

kordlessagain 4y ago
Yeah, it's usually −171°C there by this time.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
> 7 of Autumn I saw what you did, there… I lived in London, back in the 1970s, and can confirm. Generally, a rainy autumn. Sort of like Seattle, for the US folks familiar.
kmlx 4y ago
> In the UK, we have 5 months of Winter and 7 of Autumn, that has not been the case for the past few years. it’s getting hot much earlier.
Y-bar 4y ago
I'm European since the birth of my grand-grand-grand-parents and until today I had not heard of the "Dec 22nd and Mar 21st" version of winter. I have only ever heard of these two: - Calendar winter: December first to February last. - Metorological winter according to our meteorologists: "the period of the year where the daily average temperature is below zero degrees Celsius" [Sweden: https://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/arstider/vinter/vinter-1.22843 https://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/arstider/vint...] and [Norway: https://snl.no/vinter https://snl.no/vinter] Today I learned of a third definition.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  'Winter' in calendar, solar terms in the Northern hemisphere , also called astronomical winter, starts on 21st December and ends on 20th March (there might be a one day shift now and then?). That is, the period from the winter solstice until the spring equinoxe. This is written on most calendars and that is what Google tells you when you look up 'winter'. I am flabbergasted that you never heard of that... Now, usually the other definition people use relates to their locate climate for practical purposes.
  - Y-bar 4y ago
    Funnily enough we call that first day date “Midwinter Day” or “middle of the winter-day” here. Maybe it it time to rename it to “Firstwinter Day”! ;)
    - mytailorisrich 4y ago
      Yes that's a customary name for the winter solstice. Like Midsummer for the summer solstice. As I wrote, in European tradition 'winter' starts much earlier than the winter solstice because quite obviously the cold and grey months start earlier. I am still puzzled that you never heard of 21st December being the beginning of the (astronomical) winter, like 21st June is beginning of summer, etc.
      - Y-bar 4y ago
        Why would I ever have heard of it in the first place? It's not in use, not in social settings, not in official settings. Though I have learned it exists, and that some people _really_ like that definition. Reading this thread I am just as puzzled by you being puzzled, because I base my use of it on: - Official communication (e.g. with tax authorities) use december first as first day of winter quarter. - Social connotations use either a simplified version of the scientific/metrological definition (e.g. is it cold enough to be called winter yet? E.g. is it warm enough that winter has ended?) or calendar winter (dec-jan-feb). - Historical reasons, late December is literally called "middle of the winter". Same thing with summer, it officially begins on June 1st and the summer solstice marks the "middle of summer" the same way "Mittwoch" marks the middle of the week. - In the scientific literature I occasionally read (e.g. meteorology and biology) I read the definition is when the average daily temperature determines winter and never based on astronomy.