Winter solstice 2022

The first day of winter 2022 will be here soon. Here are details about the date and time, and why it is called the winter solstice.

The other winter season — the one most people recognize — starts each year on Dec. It occurs when the tilt of the North Pole is positioned the [farthest from the sun](https://www.space.com/winter-solstice), causing less light to reach the northern half of our planet. 1 to be the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere — with this season running through all of December, January and February. In the weather world, meteorologists and climatologists consider Dec. Eastern Standard Time — is technically known as the [winter solstice](https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice) and will make Wednesday the shortest day of the year in terms of how much daylight we get. 21 marks the start of their summer season. It is a combination of sol, which means sun, and stitium, which means to stop. [official start of winter](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/winter-solstice-2022-first-day-of-winter-is-less-than-a-week-away/3023073/) is almost here. For people living in the southern hemisphere, Dec. In New York City, there will only be 9 hours, 15 minutes and 17 seconds of daylight, according to the time experts at [TimeAndDate.com](https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/new-york). [Winter’s precise arrival](https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2022/12/13/when-is-first-day-of-winter-2022-winter-solstice-dates/69689052007/) — at 4:48 p.m. Although it may feel a little gloomy to have so much darkness, after Dec.

Seasons will shift on Wednesday, with the first day of winter arriving in the Northern Hemisphere.

[winter solstice](https://www.wsj.com/articles/winter-solstice-at-stonehenge-in-pictures-1450797523?mod=article_inline) in the Northern Hemisphere, which this year occurs on Dec. After a brief pause at that line on the solstice, the sun appears to reverse direction and begins its journey northward. 21, marks the first day of winter and [the shortest day of the year](https://www.wsj.com/articles/darker-days-are-coming-dont-let-them-get-you-down-11668390662?mod=article_inline) in that half of the world.

Once again, it is time to enter a sacred cosmic gateway: the winter solstice! Amid the chaos of 2022, we can all use some much-needed quiet, solitude, ...

Blow bubbles or ring the bell to share your hopes and dreams with the Universe. Here are some cues to make your next walk more mindful and give yourself permission to be fully present in your life: Tell the barista you appreciate his friendly attitude, compliment your co-worker on a project, smile at a neighbor, or post a message on social media that is positive and inspiring. How can you shine your light out into the world? Then blow the bubbles or ring a bell to release regrets, worries, or concerns. When the ashes are cool, give them to the earth. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. Holding on to the old patterns that sabotage your success makes no sense. The Egyptian deity Isis gave birth to Horus, the sun god. The Greek Leto gave birth to a shining Apollo. The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere…it is the longest day. Once again, it is time to enter a sacred cosmic gateway: the winter solstice!

Winter solstice 2022 is Wednesday, December 21. Here's what it means, and how you can protect your mental health during this time of year.

The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of daylight in the whole year, which is why it's typically referred to as the shortest day of the year. And don't be fooled by the cutesy nickname; the winter blues pack a mean punch. This year, the winter solstice is at 4:48 p.m. 21, marks this year's winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the start of the astronomical winter season. Astronomical seasons, on the other hand, are based on the Earth's position as it rotates around the sun. While we usually think of winter solstice as an entire day, it actually refers to the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted at its maximum point away from the sun.

Once again we have entered the time of the winter solstice — when daylight is scarce and the creeping darkness seems to whisper: Slow down.

“Red is the color of yang energy, and so when you consume the red bean soup you are also consuming that energy. The winter solstice is celebrated in a variety of ways across much of Asia. “After the longest and coldest night of the year, the sunrise is a reminder of hope,” said the Iranian epic storyteller Gordafarid, who lives in Los Angeles. “Dongji is the most powerful day of negative energy,” she said. “It makes people want to celebrate them even more as a way to preserve the culture and the heritage,” Ardekani said. “Unfortunately, the effects of colonization mean we are still bringing back our customs, so a lot of this is reconnecting to something that was a way of life,” she said. In the Chumash tradition, Old Man Sun carries a torch as he makes his way across the sky and the winter solstice marks the start of his annual journey. Some scholars argue that it is no coincidence that the birth of Jesus, who called himself “the light of the world,” is celebrated around this time as well. “If we situate the human in the context of our long evolutionary history, then the world has been speaking to us for a very long time.” Embedded in the physical machinations of the solstice, our ancestors saw stories and myths that continue to inform us today. Once again we have entered the time of the winter solstice — when daylight is scarce and the creeping darkness seems to whisper: Slow down. It is the day when the North Pole reaches its farthest tilt away from the sun, resulting in the shortest period of daylight of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, followed by the longest night.

Winter solstice 2022, the shortest day of year and the official first day of winter, is on Wednesday, December 21 for North America and much of Europe and ...

[Dongzhi marks the return yang](http://www.lifeqimedicine.com/dongzhi-festival-winter-solstice-and-the-return-of-yang/) -- and the slow ascendance of light and warmth. Part of Druidic traditions, the winter solstice is considered a time of death and rebirth. In December, we're getting into the holiday spirit and celebrating the festive season. On the winter solstice, visitors traditionally enter the towering, mysterious stone circle for a sunrise ceremony run by local pagan and druid groups. The Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival has its roots in ancient Chinese culture. The people enjoyed carnival-like festivities resembling [modern Mardi Gras celebrations](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saturnalia-Roman-festival) and even delayed their war-making. The summer solstice is when the sun's rays are farthest north over the Tropic of Cancer, giving us our longest day and the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The situation is the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere, where only about 10% of the world's population lives. Below are some examples of when 21:48 UTC will be for various local times in places around the world. Residents of [Nome, Alaska](https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/usa/nome), will be even more sunlight deprived with just three hours and 54 minutes and 31 seconds of very weak daylight. The solstice usually -- but not always -- takes place on December 21. Then we'll explore some ancient traditions and celebrations around the world.

The winter solstice is today (Dec. 21), marking the official start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year.

[According to History.com](https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia) (opens in new tab), the winter solstice fell on Dec. [summer solstices](https://www.space.com/summer-solstice-when-what) occur because [Earth](https://www.space.com/54-earth-history-composition-and-atmosphere.html) is tilted 23.5 degrees on its axis, and the moment of each solstice occurs when the axis is tilted in the direction of the sun. 25 on the Julian calendar, which was used by the Ancient Romans; today we use the Gregorian calendar, which has the winter solstice fall on either Dec. [according to Farmer's Almanac](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/winter-solstice-first-day-winter) (opens in new tab). Midwinter festivals have long been celebrated on the winter solstice each year by current and ancient cultures. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, it will be the longest day of 2022.

Here is the sun-facing side of Earth during the December 2018 solstice (left) and June 2019 solstice (right). The Southern Hemisphere is tilted to receive more ...

Today’s winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night for the Northern Hemisphere, while the opposite is happening south of the equator. The December or winter solstice usually happens on Dec. For those north of the equator the summer solstice happens on June 20 or 21.

In turn, the winter solstice occurs when the South Pole is tilted towards the sun, giving the southern hemisphere more daylight and the northern hemisphere less ...

[Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-20/winter-solstice-celebrates-sharing-light-amid-darkness). [midwinter festivals](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-20/winter-solstice-celebrates-sharing-light-amid-darkness) that take place on the solstice. The solstice occurs when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, its most southern point of the year, [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/winter-solstice-2022-wxc-scn-trnd/index.html) explains. [2022 winter solstice](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/winter-solstice-2022-wxc-scn-trnd/index.html), marking the day with the least amount of daylight of the year for the northern hemisphere and the most amount of daylight for the southern hemisphere. [23.5 degrees](https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eme811/node/642). The exact time of the solstice is [4:48 pm ET](https://www.space.com/winter-solstice-longest-night-northern-hemisphere--dec-21-2022), which is the time of sunset in the northern hemisphere.

As if bellowing out its presence, winter will kick off with a heavy storm. Forecast modules expect snow accumulation, fierce winds and bitter temperatures to ...

According to the warning, "falling and blowing snow will result in white out conditions with zero visibility at times, making [travel](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-winter-storm-to-expected-bring-ice-covered-roads-dangerous-and-white-out-travel-conditions/3027703/) extremely difficult, if not impossible." The astronomical event also signals the official start of the winter season. According to the National Weather Service, this year's winter solstice will occur at 3:48 p.m. According to Adler Planetarium, the Northern Hemisphere will receive less than nine hours of daylight. As the solstice marks the changing of seasons, the event also holds significance to many cultures. While the solstice and "shortest day" of the year will both occur on Wednesday, the following day is recognized as the first full day of winter.