Message #17912

[Zainab_M]

Btw, summer and winter solstices refer to June 21 and December 21, respectively, right?

Correct .... also known as the longest day and shortest day of the year, respectively, when Earth's rotation axis has its maximum tilt away from or toward the sun.
For the southern hemisphere it has to be reversed, that is, longest day Dec.21 and shortest day June 21.  

These were the days in which the ignorant pagans would worship the sun.  Thus, in V.28:50 Allah says about such people:
"وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ"   ("And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah?").   In fact the so-called christmas and new year celebrations are practices borrowed directly from this period of pagan Europe dunk  in utter mindlessness and painful ignorance (jahilya). 

 

Yes, precisely, and the continuation of this pagan practice with those different labels is just so unfortunate.   Even many thoughtless Muslims indulge in such ignorance.