midnight
Midnight ( solar time ) is the time at which the sun passes through the lowest point of its orbit in the sky. In general usage, however, this usually means the time 24:00 or 00:00 or a short period of time on both sides of this time.
astronomy
Between the polar circles , the center of the sun is always below the horizon at midnight , so it is not visible, outside this zone there is the midnight sun .
Since the earth's orbit around the sun is a slight ellipse and not a circle , the distance between successive midnights is not constant, but depends on the season ( see equation of time ). In practice, therefore, an average time is used and the time midnight is defined as 0:00 o'clock of the respectively valid zone time .
Depending on the east-west extension of the time zones (measured in geographical longitude ), the deviation between midnight (zone time) and the middle of the night can vary considerably. In the night of March 9th to 10th, 2005, it was midnight for the city of Cologne at 12:44:36 am.
Popular belief
In Europe and the Islamic Orient , midnight has a special meaning in traditional folk beliefs . In many regions, the hour between midnight and 1am (sometimes between 11am and 12pm) is considered the “ ghost hour ”, around which regionally different legends are entwined. Often associated with it is the alleged appearance of the dead, witches , the devil or various spirits . This ghost was often seen as dangerous for humans and its appearance as a bad omen , some of which predicted the imminent death of the observer. On the other hand, there was also a belief in positive aspects; folk medicine predicted an increased effect for certain herbs if these were collected at midnight. Certain treasures should also only be found at midnight, and midnight was often considered the right time for the redemption of “poor souls”.
The supernatural aspects of this witching hour were thought to be amplified on certain nights. In Christian cultures, these were mainly Christmas Eve , New Year's Eve , the night before Good Friday , Walpurgis Night and the night before St. John 's Day . These nights were said to have special characteristics. For example, at midnight before Christmas, according to Bohemian and French legends, water turns into wine and the animals in the stable start talking.
These legends also found great echo in literature. Christopher Marlowe's drama The tragic story of Doctor Faustus ends with the appearance of the devil at midnight, who takes Faust to hell. In Goethe's Faust I , the events of Easter Vigil and Walpurgis Night play a special role. William Shakespeare's Hamlet begins with the appearance of the ghost of Hamlet's murdered father at midnight.
