Winter Solstice
From Avatar Wiki, the Avatar: The Last Airbender database
- For the episodes, see Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World and Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku
The Winter Solstice is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun is at its greatest angular distance from the equator. It is also the shortest day of the year. In the Avatar world, as the solstice approaches, the natural world and the spirit world grow closer together until the line between the two is blurred. During the solstices and equinoxes, the spirits can exert incredible power in the natural world. This is also the ideal time for people (with the ability) to enter the spirit world.
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[edit] History
During the time that this solstice takes place, during Winter Solstice Part 1: The Spirit World and Winter Solstice Part 2: Avatar Roku, Aang has to stop Hei Bai from destroying the town next to a once great forest, which was burned down by the fire nation years before. Hei Bai takes Sokka and Aang gives chase, but he crashes into Hei Bai's statue in the forest and falls unconscious. Once in the spirit world, Fang takes him to Roku's temple on Crescent Island at the fringe of the Fire Nation, and shows Aang that he needs to see Roku, but only when the light of the solstice touches the Roku statue's eyes. Aang returns to the normal world and confronts Hei Bai, saying that the forest will grow back eventually, and with that, Sokka returns. They then travel to that temple and on the exact moment of the solstice, Roku's eyes glow and Aang is talking to Roku. Roku tells him of Sozin's Comet and how it will give all firebenders the absolute height of power, enough to finish the war. Aang is then told that he must master all four elements by summer's end or else Aang will not be able to restore balance to the world. Aang then flees the temple, but not before getting assistance from Roku to get him a safe route out.
[edit] Connection
- The Dōngzhì Festival or Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; Pinyin: dōng zhì; "The Extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term on or around December 22 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest; i.e., on the first day of the Dongzhi solar term.
[edit] Trivia
- The Sun Warriors apparently had a strong spiritual connection to the solstices, seeing as they have a shrine only accessible via a sun stone that would open the door on the solstices. The Fire Sages, who's temples were derived from Sun Warrior culture, also make use of a sun stone.
