The sense of eight annuel celebrations

3 circles
eight-point star
cycle of seasons
 

Three floors, three circles

The three tiers of the dance lime tree represent the three circles described by the course of the sun at three important times of year: the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year), the spring and autumn equinoxes (when day and night are of equal length) and the summer solstice (the longest day of the year).

At the summer solstice, the sun rises in the northwest, reaches its zenith in the south, and sets in the northeast. At the equinoxes, it rises in the east, reaches its zenith in the south, and sets in the west. At the winter solstice, it rises in the southeast, reaches its zenith in the south, and sets in the southwest (please see sketch).