The EMU Planetarium is set to host its annual “Season of Light” event on Dec. 3 and 10. The program explores the reasons humans are fascinated with lighting up their lives during the December holiday season.
Presented to the public each December, the program also examines the meanings behind holiday traditions, including the "Star of Bethlehem."
"It's the same show every year, but each of our shows also includes ‘Seasonal Stargazing’ for winter, spring, summer, or autumn, depending on the time of year,” EMU astronomy professor Thomas Kasper said.
“Seasonal Stargazing” details the stars in the sky during the season, and is about 15 minutes long. The “Season of Lights” show is 35 minutes long.
“From the burning Yule log, sparkling Christmas tree lights and candles in windows, to the lighting of luminaries in the American Southwest and the traditional ritual of the Hanukkah Menorah,” one of the producers explained on the EMU web pages promoting the program.
The program embodies the elegance and sophistication of the cold and dark season while highlighting the warm and bright holiday celebrations, producers of the show said in promotional material. The presentation covers the history and development of many holiday customs, all involving the winter season lights.
The show includes cultural and religious traditions practiced during the season. The practices showcased are not just Christian and Jewish practices but also those of Nordic, Roman, Irish, Celtic, Hopi, and Mexican cultures.
The program also dives into some of the lighter traditions of the season such as gift-giving, holiday songs, and the decorations on the outsides of homes.
Also during the program, audiences will learn a bit about the winter constellations in the northern hemisphere. The journey will explain why the seasons exist. And a special feature tracks the sun’s path across the sky during the year, and the Earth’s orbit and tilt around the sun.
The last quarter of the program features an exploration of the astronomical reason for the “Star of Bethlehem,” along with meteors and comets.
“‘Season of Light’ is visually rich, culturally inclusive, musically satisfying, and soothing as a warm drink on a cold winter's night,” a show producer said.
The Science Education Standards outlined the show as, “A specialty program with an emphasis on astronomical and cultural themes related to the holiday season. Its educational impact is achieved through a set of multidisciplinary ideas woven throughout the program that help relate different holiday traditions and astronomy to the lives of students, families, and the general public.”
The two December shows run from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the planetarium. Admission is $5, and tickets can be purchased through the university's online box office, Ludus.
“If someone wants to learn more about our winter holiday traditions and our human desire to bring light to the darkness of winter, then 'Season of Light ' s a great way to spend an hour,” Kasper said.
