Legends tell about how on the 21st of December, the day that marks the onset of winter as well as the shortest day of the year, the Siberians appear from their hiding places to howl at the sun encouraging it to return yet again. Some clad in spandex, khaki pants, collared shirts, motley colored fleece, Gore Tex jackets and loud colored gloves, the Siberians emerge on their bikes from their lairs, head and tail lights flashing in the light of dusk and circle the ceremonial head of Apollo urging the sun god to resume his lengthy transit across the heavens. What does the plumb bob signify?—only the Siberians know. What cosmic powers does their circling invoke?—it remains one of the unsolved mysteries of the universe. How does one get their pants tucked into to their socks so high?--If only we knew the answer. Thankfully this year, the Siberians returned to their sacred site. They gathered as one at 4:38pm, faced the setting sun of winter's first day and howled it away. Then they circled the great head (and bizarre plumb bob of perpetual plumbness) ensuring once again that the sun would return and the days would indeed grow longer.
The sacred head of Apollo, Plumb Bob of Wonder and One Siberian Bike at Sunset.
Daylight quickly fades as the shortest day of the year expires, out come the Siberians to begin the ritual.
Look at all the neon! Its astounding, truly breathtaking.
Festooned in traditional garb, and some on quite traditional cycles, they circumambulate the great head 3 times.
The world once again safe from eternal darkness, the Siberians retire to whence they came. The sun will again rise and soon light will fill the skies and summer will return once more.
(Those Siberians take some blurry pictures.)
The brave Siberian. They ride bicycles in all conditions, they work in complex bureaucracies, they howl in public and wear hunting gloves and spandex simultaneously. Their lights flash as a beacon for us all, unsung heroes of the night.
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