Why does Earth have winter, summer, and everything in between—and does it just like spinning fancy while it orbits the sun?

In this episode of Explain It Like I’m 5, host Alex unpacks the science (and silliness) behind seasons: why they exist, what causes them, and how they’ve shaped life, culture, and even our holidays. You’ll learn:

• Why Earth’s tilt, not its distance from the sun, creates seasons

• How daylight hours change—and why the equator basically doesn’t care

• What happens if Earth stopped tilting (spoiler: bad news for crops and penguins)

• The wild ways other planets do seasons—like seven-year winters on Saturn

• And yes, how Earth “spins fancy” with its slow, cosmic wobble

From ancient farmers and Stonehenge to modern memes about Mercury retrograde, this episode connects the tilt of our planet to everything from ice cream seasons to pumpkin spice.