Holidays and Celebrations during December 2022
December 3 First Sunday of Advent
December 6 St. Nicholas Day
December 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day; First Day of Chanukqh begins at Sundown
December 10 Human Rights Day and Human Refugee Day
December 11 Third Sunday of Advent
December 15 Bill of Rights Day
December 17 Wright Brothers’ Day
December 21 Winter Solstice; Forefathers Day
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day in Canada; First Day of Kwanza
December 31 New Year’s Eve
Due to circumstances beyond this writer’s control, December’s Almanac is very brief. The entire month of December is largely dominated by events, shopping, parties, concerts and other activities of the Christmas season. Winter officially begins with the winter solstice on the 21st of month, and weather usually turns much colder with an increase of snowy weather. The month ends with several special New Year’s Eve celebrations, including the now annual party in Downtown Utica.
In the Night Skies
Venus as a morning star is to the left of Virgo’s bright blue star Spica early in the month The best meteor shower of the year, the Geminids is on the 12-14, greatly enhanced by a near moonless nights, with a meteor a minute likely visible if rural skies are clear On the 17th, the Moon is below Saturn, then moves on to meet Jupiter on the 21st and 22nd. . The winter solstice is on December 21, officially beginning the winter season.
Rising and Setting Times for Sun, Moon, and Planets on Winter Solstice, December 21
Sunrise 7:27 A.M.
Moonrise, Waxing Gibbous Moon Rises 12;56 P.M.SE Moonset. 1:37 A.M., W
Venus Rises 4:11 A.M., SE
Mars Rises 6:48 A.M., SE
Jupiter
Saturn
Moon Phases for December
December 5 Last Quarter Moon Rises on the 4th Sets. 12:54 P.M., W
December 12 New Moon
December 13-14 Geminids Meteor Shower, up to 75 meteors an hour with Moonless night
December 19 First Quarter Moon Rises. 12:13 P.M., E Sets on 20th
