The winter solstice is again upon the Northern Hemisphere, and though the year's shortest day heralds the onset of winter it also promises the gradual return of the sun after a prolonged period of darkness.
That there are holidays at the time of this astronomical event is no coincidence. Since ancient times, people have celebrated the solstice and observed it with many different cultural and religious traditions. Some of them survive to the present day—though not always in the form you might expect.
The men are insubordinate a few times. Their insubordination reflects unfavorably on Odysseus because not only can he not fully control his men, but also they do not fully trust him.
For example, the men believe Odysseus is hiding treasure and riches and open the bag of wind while Odysseus is sleeping -- which of course causes a huge problem. This proves that not only did they not obey his commands, they did not fully trust him.
This poem refers to the real-word issue of the genocide of the Jewish population in Europe during Second World War, and specifically to the systematic extermination in the death camps, where people got tatoos with numbers upon their arrival
