After experiencing the two past winters in Saskatchewan, now I can feel and understand what a really cold winter is like. The last two winters were especially good examples of bitterly cold winter in Canada. If there is no hope for the coming spring, then the people who live in this prairie would become a different species of people. The good news is that spring is just around corner! And after this record breaking cold winter, we all will become wiser and more patient people who are able to deal with this kind of wild climate change with one's own experience, wisdom and knowledge.
An interesting point is that usually spring beings with Lenten season. Spring and Lent are very closely related with each other and we are able to know when spring like weather will begin in northern hemisphere during the Lenten season. Lent this year begins about three weeks later than usual due to a later Easter, on April 20. Easter is always set on the first Sunday after the first full moon, April 15, and after the spring equinox, March 20 in this year. Although it is hard to explain why this unusual longer winter and the later Easter should happen in one year, but it is true that Lenten season is set according to both solar and lunar cycles each year.
It is not easy to predict changing weather, but it is always possible to expect changing season which is depending on the lengthening of daylight. Lent comes from old English words 'lenten' or 'lengten' which mean 'long' or 'spring.' In other word, Lent means the lengthening of spring days. It is true that during the Lenten season, the length of daylight is getting longer and longer until the summer solstice. Of course the Lent also means the length of the forty days from Ash Wednesday, March 5 to Holy Saturday, April 19 in this year not counting the 6 Sundays during this time period in which people remember Jesus' passion, suffering, and crucifixion until the day of resurrection on Easter.
What UC Chimes wants to point out is that Lent and Christmas, the most important religious festivals in Christianity, are so closely related to natural cycles, especially length of daylight. Some critics may argue that this close relationship between the Christian ritual festivities and the solar cycles might be highly influenced by the festivals of a pagan sun god or goddess from Greco-Roman culture, especially Hellenism. That might be true. But since the day and time for these festivals has to be set anyway, so it should be quite natural and meaningful to celebrate Lent and Christmas at the times that are well matched with solar cycles as Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Indeed Lent gives hope to everyone either who are longing for more sun light or true light of Jesus.
