Contented winter

It can be easy to think of this as a time when little happens in nature but by tuning into the month's micro-seasons we can enjoy a quieter, calmer side of December

Inspired by the Japanese idea of dividing the year into 72 micro-seasons, writers Kiera Chapman, Lulah Ellender and Rowan Jaines, and illustrator Rebecca Warren, applied the concept to Britain. In it, they found new ways to appreciate the natural world, finding links to shared history, ancient patterns and folklore, just as contemporary science helps illuminate its workings. 2–6 DECEMBER Robins Defend Winter Territories Before the Sanskrit word naranga – the origin of the word 'orange' – came to Europe from Asia with orange trees in the 15th century, things that we would now term orange were described as either yellow or red. Like the conspicuously orange fronted robin. Originally called the 'ruddock' or 'redbreast', it came to be known as the 'robin' when people added this alliterative nickname for 'Robert'. UK robins are…

You're reading a preview of

The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2023

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.