Welcome to the Fern podcast as the season turns.

Released on the first of each month, the episodes follow the changing landscape of the seasons,

from the moon and the stars to the tides and the trees. I'm Leah Lane Dukes, author of

The Almanac, a seasonal guide, and this podcast is a collaboration between myself and Fern,

makers of small batch organic perfume. I love wearing Fern. In my quest to live in tune with the

seasons, applying the season's perfume is a lovely little ritual that reminds me to use all my senses.

We hope that this brief guide to the month ahead will awaken you to the rhythms of the year and help you to settle deeper into the seasons.

Names for December.

December, the 10th month in the old Roman calendar,

is important because it contains the winter solstice, this year falling on the 21st. This is the year's longest night, and its passing means that, despite the long march of winter still to come, sunnier days will soon return.

Nollig in Irish Gaelic and Meenolik in Manx,

both come from Natalysius, Latin for Birthday or Birth.

Relating to Christmas, this is the only place where Christianity has left its mark

on the names of the month in the languages of

Britain and Ireland, and it suggests that these particular names are not as ancient as some.

The Welsh, Ragvir, means foreshortening and is thought to relate to the shortening of days.

In a similar vein, the Scots-Gallic Duvlach, meaning black, is concerned with the increasing

gloom. Cornish goes one step further, having used up black on November. Its name

for December is Kevardu, which is most similar to the Breton name for the month, Curzu, and means very black.

In Old English, December's name is Eragiel, the month before Yule, tessellating with January's

Eftera Gola, the month after Yule. Yule is one of the many midwinter festivals, ancient and more modern,

that cluster around the solstice, lighting up the winter darkness as the seasons turn once again.

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