Rituals come as much from religion as they do from the way Earth spins around the Sun. Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► www.youtube.com/c/bigthink Up Next ► Rituals improve life according to ancient Chinese philosophers, says Michael Puett youtu.be/5nE4E9evY_U Many of humanity's cultural traditions are based upon the movement of our planet around the Sun. The summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes take on special significance. The reason these special days exist is because our planet tilts at an angle of roughly 23° on its axis. Without this tilt, there would be no seasons. The religious and philosophical themes of rebirth and resurrection, therefore, are partially the result of our planet's axial tilt. Read the video transcript ► bigthink.com/series/explain-it-like-im-smart/earths-tilt/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Sasha Sagan: Sasha Sagan is a native of Ithaca, New York and a graduate of NYU. She has worked as a television producer, filmmaker, writer, and speaker in the U.S. and abroad. Her essays and interviews on death, history, and ritual through a secular lens have appeared in The Cut, O, the Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, Atmos and beyond. She is a contributing editor for the British fashion magazine Violet Book. Sasha regularly speaks on ways science can inform our celebrations and how we mark the passage of time, inspired in part by the work of her parents, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read more of our stories on Earth’s rotation: Ask Ethan: How Long Do We Have Until We Need To Change Our Calendar? ►bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/ask-ethan-how-long-do-we-have-until-we-need-to-change-our-calendar/ Ask Ethan: Are “North” and “South” totally arbitrary on Earth? ► bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/north-and-south/ Why Does The Spinning Earth Speed Up If The Tides Are Slowing Us Down? ►bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/why-does-the-spinning-earth-speed-up-if-the-tides-are-slowing-us-down/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century. ► Big Think+ Make your business smarter, faster: bigthink.com/plus/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want more Big Think? ► Daily editorial features: bigthink.com/popular/ ► Get the best of Big Think right to your inbox: bigthink.com/st/newsletter ► Facebook: bigth.ink/facebook ► Instagram: bigth.ink/Instagram ► Twitter: bigth.ink/twitter

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