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this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2025
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No Stupid Questions
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I've always kind of figured this was the actual origin of the swastika and why it was created independently by various cultures. The arms from the center are the solstices and equinoxes and the trailing arms from the elbows are the seasons that follow.
Interesting thought, but not all cultures historically broke the seasons into four parts as is common now. The current common four season status quo is very Euro-centric and spread from Western influence.
Indeed First Nations Australian's had many more "seasons" and Australia being a huge country differwet areas had different seasons.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australian_seasons
Wouldn't solar observation pretty much universally divide the year into something divisible by four? Unless you're directly on the equator, there are four points in a year and four points of direction (other than 'right here').
I haven't read deeply about world calendars, but do know that the solstices are pretty much universally recognized.
Not a history or anthropology buff, but I have a general feeling that four pointed symbols are often tied to the solar year. You can build a solar calendar with a stick and rocks.
The solstices, as we know them, are a Western idea that has been propagated through European colonialism and conquest. They are now widely accepted around the world, but this was not always the case.
Cultures like India, Japan, and natives in Australia or Northern Canada (as a small handful of examples) have historically split the seasons into as few a 6 seasons and as many as like 24. Then, there are some cultures in tropical climates that simply use two. Different areas of the world are going to have varying climate changes during the year (dry season vs. wet season, monsoon seasons, etc.) that influence how seasons are perceived. In Europe, spring and autumn were particularly important for farming.
Your general feeling comes from what you know, and what you know is limited to your personal worldview.
See Cultural aspects on Wikipedia.
See, that's kind of condescending. I know that solstices and equinoxes are important and were recognized by prehistoric humans all over the world. This isn't western vs eastern hegemony bullshit. Note that even the Chinese calendar is divisible by 4 and delineated by the solstices. I've also read about the solar observatories found in Mexico that predate European involvement as well as the wooden 'henge' of the mound builders.
Trying to act like recognition of solstices and equinoxes is some sort of Western cultural imposition is silly.