Susan Cooper is a truly great children’s literature writer. She wrote many magical books, including the fantastic five book series, the Dark is Rising. She also has out a new book, Ghost Hawk, set in New England! Woo-hoo! We’ve bought a copy for one of my kids for Christmas (mum’s the word) and I can’t wait to read it myself!!
Here is an excerpt from her book: The Magic Maker, a Portrait of Jack Langstaff, Creator of the Revels, followed by a video of her reading the same poem:
The Shortest Day
by Susan Cooper
And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us – listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!
19 thoughts on “Today is the Shortest Day!!”
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Friendly Fairy Tales 
Wonderful….the day did go by very fast!!!
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Yes, and now it feels like midnight, it’s been dark so long, but it’s not even close!
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This is truly beautiful….I love long days….long nights always scare me.
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Long nights need long sleeps. I’m arranging for that to happen very soon!
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Yes and it is bad when these long nights become sleepless ! Arrange for that too 😉
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Sleepless nights in my house are usually illness-related, so I’m definitely going to try and avoid that!! Cheers, Brenda
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Cheers 🙂
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Brenda, again thank you for sharing. I look forward to the longer days, even if it is only am minute. Take care, Bill
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I’ll take a minute longer, too. Sunset at 4:30 is too dang early!! 4:31 would be much better. LOL
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Apart from Jane Eyre/Parson woodfords Diary/little house on the prairie/….The dark is rising is my favourite book. I have a selection of books that get periodically re-read……
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I have to reread them every do often, too. There was a movie made, but it was lacking so much, as is often the case. Love Susan Cooper, can’t wait to read the new book, but it’s wrapped now. 🙂
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I nearly mentioned the travesty of the movie…I don’t think she was happy with it either. Didn’t know there was a new book, I can feel my husbands Christmas eve shopping present coming on..!
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🙂 Excellent! I expect some great reading coming on.
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Yay!! now today is the end of short days and the beginning of longer days…a teeny bit at a time.
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Woo-hoo! We are now headed in the right direction!
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As long as we get to a place where it is NOT pitch black at 5p.m., can take a stroll during my shorter break. I so miss my walks to unwind at work, not to mention get rid of the extra pounds I’ve put on.
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I hear you! I try to walk every morning. So healthy!
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I do before work but in the middle of my shift…away from problems, it is so mentally healthy too…so here’s to longer days!!
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Yeah, longer days!! 🙂 I’m going to bed early and get lots of sleep to celebrate, even if it is not the traditional way to celebrate Yule. 🙂
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