Apricity

One of the great things about road-schooling Fred and George is that I get to learn a lot along with them. Our newest guilty pleasure while on the road is the A Way With Words podcast.

We were catching up on some episodes yesterday and this lovely word—apricity—came up in the discussion. It had me tingling with delight so naturally I felt compelled to share it. With winter upon us again, it seems entirely appropriate to make use of this word. Apricity means “the warmth of the sun in winter.”

We all know that wonderful feeling, don’t we? The sun’s warmth overcoming the chilly air to bring a glow to your cheeks even as you are surrounded by the winter landscape. That’s all sorts of groovy, no? And to think most of use have never even realized there’s a word for that lovely, warm feeling.

I was horrified to learn in the podcast that the word is considered obsolete. We’ve probably all delighted in the feeling of apricity at some point in our lives. It seems criminal that this beautiful word has fallen out of use.

So won’t you help me revive it? Let’s bring back this lovely word together. Use it with abandon!

Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow. ~ Helen Keller