The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere was officially Dec. 21 at 5:23 p.m.

With the early onset of cold weather and the recent snow, many would’ve thought old man winter made an early appearance this year.

As we transition from fall to winter, I have heard several remarks regarding the The Old Farmer’s Almanac and predictions for the upcoming winter season.

In light of this, I began to wonder about the history of The Old Farmer’s Almanac and how it was used as a valuable resource in the past.

According to information provided by almanac.com, the The Old Farmer’s Almanac is a North American reference guide.

However, this particular almanac is not just any reference guide, but the oldest and most popular published periodical in North America.

According to information provided by the website, almanacs not only predict the weather as many of us have referenced at some point in our lives, but astronomical events, tides and more.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is traditionally said to be about 80 percent accurate.

“Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president. Although many other almanacs were being published at that time, Thomas’s upstart almanac became an immediate success,” said the website.

Living in an area that is historically known for farming such as Charlotte County, I can only imagine that in spite of the name, the The Old Farmer’s Almanac was a valuable tool for those who worked with crops and utilized the predictions as a resource.

While The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been through the hands of a few different editors over the years, the publication has never missed a production even to this day.

With more recent technology, referring to an almanac has become a little obsolete, especially when weather predictions are available right at our fingertips through the use of a smartphone or turning on the television.

However, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a rich history that commands respect and to this day is still widely recognized.

Italia Gregory is community editor of The Gazette. Her email address is Italia.Gregory@ TheCharlotteGazette. com.