"Everyone should mark their calendars this month. It will be the Last Lunar Hurrah of the Millennium." 

This year was the first full moon to occur on the winter solstice, Dec. 22, commonly called the first day of winter. Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurred in conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee ( the point in it's elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth), as the Earth is several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer. Sunlight striking the moon is 7% stronger, making it brighter. In addition, this will be the closest perigee of the moon of the year since the moon's orbit is constantly deforming. If the weather is clear and there is a snow cover over where you live, it is believed that even car headlights will be superfluous. 
In laymen's terms it will be an incredibly bright full moon, much more so than the usual, and it hasn't been this way in the last 133 years! 

Our ancestor's saw this 133 years ago (December 21st, 1866). 
Our descendants 100 or so years from now will see it again. 
The period between the first week in December and the first week in January could well be called the "dark days" for the mid-northern latitudes. At a latitude 40 degrees north, the earliest sunset occurs around 8 December each year, and latest sunrise occurs around 5 January. The day with the least amount of daylight is the winter solstice, the first day of winter, around 21 December. Why are not all these dates the same? The answer is not simple. There are two effects which determine the local time of Sun phenomena, such as sunrise, sunset, and transit. One is the Equation of Time, the other is the Sun's declination. 

The Equation of Time is a way of describing the variation in the time of Sun-related phenomenon within our standard 24- hour time keeping system. In any time zone, the Equation of Time is simply the difference between 12:00 noon on a clock and the actual time of the Sun's transit (sundial noon) across the central meridian of the time zone. The time between successive transits of the Sun- the length of the solar day- varies considerably over the year. It is itself determined by two factors, both dependent on the position of the Earth in its orbit. Suffice it to say that from mid-November to early February these two factors work together to make the solar day longer than 24 hours: in late December, as much as 30 seconds longer than 24 hours. Since we do not adjust our clocks for this effect, the Sun's transit moves and later each day during this period. 
All other things being equal, the times of all Sun phenomenon are tied directly to the time of transit. But all other things are not equal. The Sun's declination, its angular distance above or below the equator, changes in a yearly cycle, causing our seasons. The Sun's declination determines the maximum height of the Sun in the sky on any given day, hence the azimuth of the sunrise and sunset points, and the length of time the Sun is above the horizon. Most of us know the Sun is at its "lowest point in the sky" on the first day of winter, so we expect the Sun to be above the horizon the times of sunrise of time that day. 

So two effects determine the times of sunrise and sunset: the Equation of Time and the Sun's declination. But their relative magnitudes vary. In late December, the daily rate of change of the Sun's declination is quite small and is, of course, zero at the December solstice; "solstice" means "Sun stationary". However, the daily rate of change of the Equation of Time reaches a maximum just a few days later. Thus in late December it is the Equation of Time that has the dominant influence over the changes in sunrise and sunset times from one day to the next. In fact, the Equation of Time dominates, at latitude 40 degrees north, from about 8 December to 5 January. Outside of these few weeks, the Sun's declination changes are dominant. These two dates represent the dates on which the magnitudes of the two effects "cross over" at this latitude. 
( At higher latitudes, the crossover dates are closer to the equinox since the declination effect is greater there). 

The 8 December crossover day is the date of earliest sunset. Why? In the weeks before solstice, the two effects act in opposite direction on the time of sunset; the declination effect pulling it earlier and the Equation of Time pushing it later. On 8 December the Equation of Time begins to dominate and sunset begins to move later. 
Meanwhile both effects are pushing sunrise later and later. After solstice, the situation reverses. Both effects push sunset later. But for sunrise, the declination effect now pulls it earlier while the Equation of Time effect continues to push it later. The Equation of Time prevails until 5 January, when the declination effect takes over and sunrise begin to move earlier. So 5 January is the date of latest sunrise. 

A similar situation occurs at the summer solstice, although the effect is not as extreme. Solstice occurs around 21 June, but at latitude 40 degrees north the earliest sunrise around 14 June and the latest sunset around 28 June. 

By: Mukarram Z. Abdulnabee 

Yemeni Filo 

Ingredients: 

8 Samboussek sheets cutting into triangles. 
3 cups ground beef. 
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 
1 clove garlic finely chopped. 
1/2 cup coriander, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon cumin 
1/2 teaspoon curry 
3 tablespoon vegetable oil . 
1.Put the onions in a pan, add the oil and the ground beef. Stir together. Add the coriander. Put on a low heat for ten minutes. 
2.Stir the ground beef, adding the garlic, salt, cumin, and curry. Leave them on the heat for 10 minutes more or until the beef is tender. 
3.Put the triangle sheet on a surface place 2 tablespoons ground beef at the bottom of the triangle and roll the triangle to the top. At the end of the triangle sheet seal it with water. Place it in boiling oil until it takes a golden color. Remove them from the boiling oil and put them on a plate and add some decorative lettuce. 
 

Date Balls 

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup sugar 
1/2 cup stick butter 
1 pound pitted dates, chopped. 
1 teaspoon milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 cup chopped nuts. 
Finely chopped nuts or shredded coconuts for decorating. 

1.Mix sugar, butter and dates in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted; remove from heat. 
2.Stir in milk and vanilla. Cook over very low heat 4 minutes. Stirrings constantly; remove from heat. 
3.Stir in 1/2 cup nuts. Cool 5 minutes. 
4.Shap mixture by teaspoonful into balls. Roll balls in finely chopped nuts or shredded coconuts. 

Chocolate Brownies 

Ingredients: 

2/3 cup stick butter 
1/2 cup unsweetened baking chocolate 
1 3/4 cups sugar (powder) 
2 teaspoon vanilla 
3 large eggs 
1 cup flour 
1 cup walnuts chopped 
1 cup chocolate frosting or chocolate cream 
1.Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. 
2.Beat sugar, vanilla and eggs in medium bowl with electric mixer on high-speed 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in flour just until blended. Stir in walnuts. Spread in a square pan greased bottom and sides of pan with shortening. 
3.Put in oven at a heat of about 200¼ C degree 
4.Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Spread with chocolate frosting or chocolate cream. Cut into about 2-inch squares. 

Chimichangas 

Ingredients: 

2 flour tortillas or 2 thick sambousek sheets. 
2 cups ground beef. 
1 clove garlic, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon chili powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup) 
1 large egg, beaten 
vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) 
Salsa, if desired. 
1.Cook beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. 
2.Stir in remaining ingredients except samboussek sheets, eggs, and salsa. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3.Put the beef mixture onto center of the samboussek sheet and cover it with the other one and brush the top of it with egg to seal and put in the oven on low heat about 140¼ C. 
4.Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. 
5.Serve chimichangas with salsa, if desired.