A Cosmic Moment of Perihelion

January 2, 2026: Earth’s Closest Approach to the Sun – A Cosmic Moment of Perihelion

On January 2, 2026, Earth will experience a cosmic moment as it reaches perihelion, the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun. This annual event marks a fascinating moment in Earth’s journey through the solar system, where our planet comes a bit closer to the life-giving rays of our star.

At perihelion, the Sun’s light shines a little more intensely on Earth, increasing the solar energy we receive, though it doesn’t directly affect our seasons. Our seasons are determined by Earth's axial tilt, not our proximity to the Sun, but this moment serves as a beautiful reminder of the vast and intricate workings of our solar system.

As Earth approaches the Sun, it's a great time to reflect on the immense forces that shape our world forces that allow life to thrive. The Sun’s energy is the foundation of all life, and perihelion gives us an opportunity to appreciate just how perfectly aligned our planet is within the cosmos.

Mark January 2, 2026, as the day Earth comes closest to the Sun and celebrate the interconnectedness of the planet, the Sun, and the vast universe we’re all part of. 

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on the Above Topic 

A "Cosmic Moment of Perihelion" refers to Earth reaching its closest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit, an annual event occurring in early January (like January 2, 2026) when Earth travels fastest, but seasons are dictated by axial tilt, not distance, with the Northern Hemisphere experiencing winter while being closest to the Sun. This event highlights celestial mechanics, with the sun appearing slightly larger and Earth's speed increasing due to gravity, yet its impact is subtle to daily life, reminding us of our planet's precise orbital dance. 

What is Perihelion?

• Definition: From Greek roots ("peri" near, "helios" sun), it's the point in Earth's orbit where it's nearest the Sun.
• Timing: Occurs yearly in early January, about two weeks after the December solstice, with the exact date shifting slightly.
• Distance: Earth is about 91.5 million miles (147 million km) from the Sun at this point, roughly 3 million miles closer than its farthest point (aphelion) in July. 

Key Characteristics & Effects:

• Increased Speed: Earth moves fastest in its orbit at perihelion.
• Seasons: Perihelion doesn't cause summer; Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt determines seasons, with the Northern Hemisphere tilted away from the Sun in January.
• Appearance: The Sun looks about 3% larger in the sky, though this difference isn't easily noticeable. 

Why It Matters:

• It's a demonstration of orbital mechanics and the elliptical nature of planetary paths.
• It offers a chance to reflect on the universe's elegant, precise movements. 

Perihelion in 2026:

• Earth's perihelion for 2026 is set for January 2, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. EST (17:15 UTC).
• This event in 2026 coincides with the first full moon of the year, creating a rare super moon alignment, notes EarthSky. 
• My Food for Thought for Today:
• My Photo of the Day: Bougainvilla in My Patio Still Blooming
• as Of Today- January 2, 2026
• 
  A Rainy Day on Years Day of 2026 in Walnut Creek, California, USA 

• Finally here are the top five News of the Day

  🗞️ 1. New NYC Mayor Acts on Housing

  Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has taken swift action on his first full day, signing executive orders aimed at landlords and announcing a plan for the city to intervene in a major private landlord bankruptcy case tied to 93 buildings. Fox News

  🌎 2. Venezuela Offers Talks with U.S.

  Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says his government is “ready” to negotiate a drug-trafficking and oil cooperation agreement with the United States after sustained U.S. military pressure targeting trafficking networks. Fox News

  🇨🇳 3. U.S. Issues Statement on China Military Drills

  The U.S. State Department criticized China’s recent military exercises near Taiwan, calling them unnecessary and urging Beijing to exercise restraint — a move underscoring rising regional tensions. State Department

  💧 4. Calgary Water Main Break & Conservation Push

  In Calgary, Canada, officials urge residents to conserve water as crews work to fix a major water main break that has repeatedly failed, though overall usage hasn’t dropped yet. Global News

  🚓 5. Homicides Under Investigation in Ohio

  Police in Columbus, Ohio, are searching for a suspect after a dentist and his wife were found murdered in their home — a story drawing local and national attention. YouTube

Tournament of the Rose Parade- Dodie and Ruth

Dodie and Ruth are in these Crowds of Spectators 

From the FaceBook Page of Dodie Katague

Bucket list item - Working on a float at the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

Here is Ruth glueing straw bits on the underside of the South Dakota float.

0:16 / 0:16

I did the same. But it’s not all glamorous. Here I am cutting roses and putting them into vials. 

Hundreds of them. Here are the short videos of Ruth and Dodie, helping on the decoration of one of the Floats-Mount Rushmore.

0:20 / 0:31

The Tournament of Roses Parade: A Century of Beauty, Community, and Renewal

Every New Year’s Day for more than a century, the Tournament of Roses Parade has unfolded down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, offering a promise of beauty, color, and continuity. I have watched the parade for many years now, and like countless others, I’ve come to associate it with fresh beginnings, winter sunshine, and the quiet comfort of tradition.

This year, however, was different.

Despite the steady rain—a rarity for Southern California—the parade felt especially alive and deeply personal. My oldest son, Dodie, and his wife Ruth were part of the story, not as spectators along the curb, but as participants behind the scenes. Through a three-day vacation package in Pasadena, they joined hundreds of volunteers who help decorate the floats—applying flowers, seeds, leaves, and natural materials by hand, just as the tradition demands. Their reward: front-row seats on parade day and the satisfaction of knowing they helped bring one of the floats to life.

That personal connection brought me back to the origins of the Tournament of Roses itself.

How It All Began

The Tournament of Roses Parade began in 1890, when members of Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club wanted to show off California’s mild winter climate to friends back East. While much of the country was buried under snow, Pasadena was blooming with flowers. Their solution was both simple and inspired: a parade of horse-drawn carriages covered in roses and other flowers, followed by outdoor games like polo and tug-of-war.

The idea caught on quickly.

By the early 1900s, the parade had grown into a civic event, complete with elaborate floral floats and national attention. The Tournament of Roses Association was formally established to oversee the event, ensuring it would remain noncommercial, community-centered, and rooted in volunteerism—values that still define it today.

The Art and Labor Behind the Floats

What many viewers don’t realize is that every float must be entirely covered with natural materials. No paint is allowed. Every color, every texture, every detail is created using flowers, petals, seeds, bark, grains, and leaves. This requirement transforms float decoration into an act of collective artistry and patience.

In the days leading up to the parade, thousands of volunteers—locals and visitors alike—gather in decorating barns across Pasadena. Families, friends, retirees, students, and travelers work side by side, often through the night, placing flowers one by one. In that sense, Dodie and Ruth’s experience places them squarely within the heart of the parade’s tradition: ordinary people creating something extraordinary together.

A Parade That Endures

The Tournament of Roses Parade has survived world wars, economic depressions, pandemics, and now another rainy New Year’s Day. Rain may dampen the street, but it never diminishes the spirit of the event. If anything, it highlights the resilience of those marching, riding, playing music, and yes—those who labored quietly beforehand to make it all possible.

For me, watching the parade this year carried a new layer of meaning. Knowing that my son and daughter-in-law helped bring one of those floats to life reminded me that traditions endure not just because they are beautiful, but because each generation finds its own way to participate.

A New Year’s Reflection

The Tournament of Roses Parade is often described as a celebration of hope and renewal. This year, I felt that more deeply than ever. In the rain-washed streets of Pasadena, amid flowers carefully placed by many hands—including those of my own family—I saw a living reminder that history is not something we only watch. Sometimes, it’s something our children help build.

And that, to me, makes this year’s parade unforgettable.

Here are some of the photos, I took from My TV this morning:

    

New Years Eve/Day Traditions All Over the World- Photos of Dinner and Duo Gadjo Concert

Happy New Year to All! Good bye 2025. Welcome 2026.

Did you know that twelve Round Fruits in Your Table (for Prosperity and Wealth)-is a Filipino Traditions at New Year? 

The past years, I have posted New Years Eve and Day Traditions and Superstition ( see website at end of this blog) in the Philippines. Today I am reprinting for your information 12 Fascinating New Years Eve traditions from other parts of the world as well and as follows: 

TWELVE FASCINATING NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD BY

Shutterstock / MEzairi

In the U.S., we usher out the last day of the year with cocktails, ball drops and fireworks. Elsewhere, other types of symbolism play a big role in this final holiday of the season. 

Taste of Home

JAPAN

Just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, the Japanese eat soba noodles. The Toshikoshi soba, which translates to a “year-crossing” buckwheat noodle dish, has lots of symbolism. The long noodle denotes the crossing from one year to the next. Since it’s an easily cut noodle, it signifies a letting go of the past year’s regrets—a cutting-off, if you will, before the fresh start the new year brings.

Aripai Leangphet/Shutterstock

SPAIN

In Spain, with 12 seconds remaining until the New Year, people eat 12 green grapes to bring good luck in the coming year. It’s thought to be bad luck if you can’t eat them all by the final midnight chime. But gobble them down in time and 12 months of good fortune will come your way.

Taste of Home

FRANCE- MY FAVORITE OYSTER ROCKEFELLER 

The French usually ring in the New Year with a huge feast, commonly know as le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre. The meal is full of traditional, decadent eats, including foie gras, oysters, lobster and escargot. And, just like in the U.S., champagne is the drink of choice.

Shutterstock / barbajones

ITALY

Italians love lentils for their coin-like shape, symbolizing luck and prosperity. A New Year’s Eve dinner usually features this legume to bring on luck in the coming year. Pork is often added to lentil dishes in the form of cotechino, a spicy sausage, or zampone, a deboned pig trotter, to represent the plenitude of the land.

LI Cook/Shutterstock

COLOMBIA

On the last night of the year, Colombians place three potatoes—one peeled, one unpeeled, and one half peeled—under their beds. At midnight, they pull out the first potato they touch. Peeled means they’ll have financial problems, unpeeled indicates abundance, and half peeled…well, somewhere in between.

Shutterstock / David Carillet

AUSTRALIA

Australians celebrate the New Year with midnight fireworks in cities and towns throughout the country. Firework displays are launched off bridges, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from jetties along the beaches, and on river banks, with the lights of the fireworks sparkling off the water. In a typical year, people pack picnic baskets and arrive hours early to get the best viewing spots.

Zb89V/Shutterstock

THE PHILIPPINES

Filipino culture celebrates the New Year by serving 12 round fruits. The round shape symbolizes coins, which represent prosperity and wealth for each month of the upcoming year. Apples, melons, oranges and grapes are popular picks, but any round fruit will do.

Shutterstock / V. Belov

DENMARK

After a traditional New Year’s Eve meal of boiled cod with mustard, the Danes eat a tower of marzipan doughnuts called kransekage, meaning “wreath cake.” It was once called overflødighedshorn (cornucopia), because the whole doughnut tower was tipped on its side, with chocolate and treats spilling out. This traditional cake is also served at weddings and birthdays.

Shutterstock / Alexander Lukatskiy

CANADA

In rural areas of Canada, New Year’s Eve is a time to spend ice fishing with friends. Celebrations on the frozen ponds and rivers tend to last all night as buddies fish in the open or in fishing shacks and perhaps catch a fish or two to help celebrate the coming year.

Taste of Home

IRELAND

The Irish have a tradition of banging bread against the walls of their houses on New Year’s Eve. The idea is that bad luck and evil spirits are chased away and good luck is invited in. It also ensures that the coming year will be filled with an abundance of bread and other food.

OZMedia/Shutterstock

BRAZIL

In Brazil, particular foods are eaten to invite good luck for the coming year. Seven is the lucky number on New Year’s Eve, so seven pomegranate seeds are eaten to keep the purse full, and seven grapes ensure abundance in all areas of life. Some Brazilians also jump over seven waves in the ocean and make seven wishes for the new year as they leap.

Shutterstock / Africa Studio

GREECE

The Greeks ring in the new year by eating vasilopita, a sweet yeast bread. Eaten at midnight, the bread is made in honor of Greece’s revered St. Basil. Before serving the family, beginning with the oldest member, households set a slice of bread aside for the saint and another portion for those in need. A coin is baked into the bread and the person whose slice contains the coin is in for a year filled with good fortune.

 

For details about New Year Eve and Day Traditions in the Philippines and other Part of the World visit: 

https://marinduquemyislandparadise.blogspot.com/2019/12/new-years-eve-and-day-superstition-in.html 

https://holidappy.com/holidays/New-Years-Eve-Superstitions-and-Traditions 

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on the Above Topic:

Filipino New Year traditions focus on bringing prosperity, featuring 12 round fruits, polka dots for wealth, sticky rice for family unity, and jumping at midnight to grow taller, while other cultures use grapes (Spain/Mexico), breaking dishes (Denmark), loud noises (globally), and specific foods like dumplings (China) for luck, all centered on welcoming fortune and good health for the new year. 

Philippines (Pamahiin) 

• 12 Round Fruits: A platter of 12 round fruits (like apples, grapes, watermelon) symbolizes coins and prosperity for each month.
• Polka Dots: Wearing polka dots brings wealth, as the round shapes mimic coins.
• Sticky Rice: Eating rice cakes (bibingka, biko) signifies strengthening family bonds.
• Jumping at Midnight: Children jump at midnight to grow taller in the new year.
• Open Doors & Coins: Opening doors and scattering coins invites good fortune.
• Media Noche Feast: A midnight feast with pancit (long noodles for long life) and avoiding chicken/fish. 

Around the World

• Spain & Mexico: Eating 12 grapes at midnight, one for each chime, for luck in each month.
• Denmark: Throwing old plates and glasses at front doors to banish bad luck.
• China & Asia: Eating dumplings (like money bags) and oranges (gold) for wealth.
• Globally: Making resolutions, watching ball drops (NYC), making noise (fireworks, horns).
• Ireland: Hitting walls with bread to ward off spirits. 

These traditions blend cultural beliefs with hopes for health, wealth, and good fortune in the coming year, with many centered around circular shapes and symbolic foods. 

Lastly, 

New Year Greetings From My Home ( The Heritage Downtown, WC, CA, USA) to Yours! 

The new ball in New York City's Times Square features 5,280 Waterford crystals and Led lights. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Finally, here are some photos, of our New Year Eve Dinner here at THD

Main Lobster Tail or Rack of Lamb?  

Before and After of the Lobster Tail- Yummy, Indeed! 

Finally, here's the photos from the Duo Gadjo -One Hour Presentation last night.💚 https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2025/12/duo-gadjo-at-thd-new-years-eve-bash.html

Me and Steve Holzman

💚The Duo Gadjo Band 

Finally, here's the five top news of the Day

1️⃣ Deadly New Year’s fire at Swiss ski resort
A catastrophic blaze tore through a bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort during New Year’s Day celebrations, killing dozens and injuring many more. Emergency services are responding and authorities have launched an investigation into the cause. New York Post+1

2️⃣ Zohran Mamdani sworn in as NYC mayor — shifting local politics
Muslim and immigrant communities were pivotal in electing Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s mayor, marking a demographic and political shift in the city’s leadership. The Washington Post

3️⃣ Trump’s Ukraine peace plan faces major Russian resistance
President Trump’s proposal to resolve the Ukraine war clashes with fundamental Russian positions, highlighting ongoing geopolitical tensions over the conflict’s future. The Washington Post

4️⃣ Trump drops push for National Guard deployment in major U.S. cities
The White House has stepped back from plans to send National Guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities for security missions — a shift in domestic policy direction. PBS

5️⃣ Pope Leo XIV opens 2026 with global peace appeal
At St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Pope marked New Year’s Day with calls for peace in war-torn regions and healing from violence, underscoring global challenges as the year begins. AP News