Winter solstice

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.

What happens on the solstice? During the winter solstice, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude 23.5 degrees south of ...

In most of the Lower 48, the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise occur about two weeks before and after the solstice, respectively. Closer to the Arctic Circle, the earliest sunset and latest sunrise happen on or near the winter solstice. That means it takes a bit longer than 24 hours for the sun to appear in the same place in the sky from one day to the next. The Arctic Circle marks the line where the sun [no longer rises](http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/bmendez/ay10/2002/notes/pics/bt2lfS123_a.jpg) on the winter solstice. 21 is the winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year — and first day of astronomical winter — in the Northern Hemisphere. This misalignment happens because Earth is tilted on its axis, and we orbit the sun in an ellipse, not a perfect circle. Daylight hours on the winter solstice depend on latitude: The closer you move toward the North Pole, the less time the sun spends above the horizon. While humans measure days in 24-hour increments, the “solar day” is not exactly 24 hours. The low sun angle means you will cast your longest midday shadow of the year on the winter solstice (assuming skies are clear). 1 to the end of February. During the winter solstice, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude 23.5 degrees south of Earth’s equator. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, Dec.

In this modern time, living in a city environment, I find it more challenging to be as connected with the cycles of nature as those who came before me.

There is a tradition, for some, that when the sun is at its peak, on the Summer Solstice, a small mirror is exposed to the brightness and warmth of the sun and then wrapped with a cloth. Ron is Co-Facilitator of the Louisville Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) group and on the Board of Trustees of the CUUPS National Organization. We know that the days grow longer and the nights shorter and the plant life that is protecting itself against the cold and dark, is still a few months away from its return to green but the process begins on the Winter Solstice. It is at this time of the year, when the Sun has its shortest slide across the skies of the Northern Hemisphere, I imagine our early ancestors who felt the colder weather approaching and watched as the earth went into hibernation. The Earth has a needful relationship with the sun and this relationship has a direct effect on the plants and animals that live on her, including us humans. In this modern time, living in a city environment, I find it more challenging to be as connected with the cycles of nature as those who came before me.

Salute the sun: Do 108 sun salutations tonight at 7:30pm on the roof of the AC Hotel Miami Dadeland. Open to yogis of all levels, this free event from YogaSix ...

Meet on Azalea Terrace at 8am for a 90-minute flow. [108 sun salutations](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/108-sun-salutations-for-the-winter-solstice-tickets-483587171247) tonight at 7:30pm on the roof of the AC Hotel Miami Dadeland. Open to yogis of all levels, this free event from YogaSix will also feature sound healing.

As the Northern Hemisphere welcomes the longest night of the year, we look at how some cultures celebrate winter solstice.

The condors at the Oakland Zoo are creatures of the sun. During the brief days of winter, they seek it. “You'll see them basking in the morning as soon as ...

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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.

It's the darkest day of the year. Each day ahead, until summer solstice, will get a little bit longer.

“And that’s as short as your shadow gets on the solstice.” Locally made treats on hand will include Elevated Oats granola and Chugach Chocolates hot cocoa. Admission is free, but you’ll have to buy a “So it really is an important marker for people in Alaska to note when that daylight turnaround occurs.” Brettschneider estimated light increasing by five to six minutes a day in Anchorage, and seven to eight minutes a day in Fairbanks. Food truck goodies will also be available for purchase. Plus, there may be early sightings of Santa Claus. [Hilltop Ski Area Winter Solstice Celebration](https://www.hilltopskiarea.org/event/winter-solstice-celebration/) The solstice is set to occur at 12:47 p.m. It’s the moment when the North Pole is tilted “So effectively, we have less sunlight than that.” For Alaskans, winter solstice also means rapidly increasing amounts of daylight with each day forward until the summer solstice.

The winter solstice means the return of the light, and cultures from the Middle East to Scandinavia to North America have been celebrating it for hundreds ...

[all-night](https://www.history.com/news/8-winter-solstice-celebrations-around-the-world) ceremony, there are bonfires, dancing and sometimes gift-giving. [5,000 years](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/dining/yalda-winter-solstice-pomegranate.html#:~:text=This%20victory%20of%20light%20and,the%20god%20of%20the%20sun.). The festival celebrates the triumph of [Mithra](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mithra) — the sun god — over darkness. The Hopi will welcome kachinas — protective spirits from the mountains — and use various [crafted prayer sticks](https://www.britannica.com/list/7-winter-solstice-celebrations-from-around-the-world#:~:text=The%20winter%20solstice%2C%20the%20longest,or%2021%20in%20the%20Southern.) for rituals and ceremonies. 21 or 22 marks the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere) and is celebrated in various ways across various cultures. But Dongzhi is now a time for families to get together and reflect on the past year. The candles represent the way St. Celebrated in Scandinavian countries — mainly Sweden, Norway and parts of Finland — St. Lucia in a The winter solstice marks the return of the light, or if you’re a Doctor Who fan, being halfway out of the dark. Those who celebrate the day previously believed it was the shortest day of the year and the day St. [Christmas and Hanukkah](https://www.britannica.com/list/7-winter-solstice-celebrations-from-around-the-world#:~:text=The%20winter%20solstice%2C%20the%20longest,or%2021%20in%20the%20Southern.).

It may be the day with the fewest hours of sunshine for the global north, but there is another source of heat to consider.

Hardin said that meteorological winter makes up the entirety of December, January and February. And while on traditional calendars, this is the start of winter. Sometimes the warmest temperature is at 3:00-4:00 pm.

The dead of winter, when the longest night of the year takes place, has traditionally been celebrated as a time of renewal and reverence.

[wrote Mahdavi](https://theconversation.com/a-persian-festival-yalda-celebrates-the-triumph-of-light-over-darkness-with-pomegranates-poetry-and-sacred-rituals-173969), who is now provost at the University of Montana. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. In this worship space and many others that Catholic missionaries built during the Spanish colonial period, the winter solstice “triggers an extraordinary rare and fascinating event,” [he explained](https://theconversation.com/a-sacred-light-in-the-darkness-winter-solstice-illuminations-at-spanish-missions-70250): “a sunbeam enters each of these churches and bathes an important religious object, altar, crucifix or saint’s statue in brilliant light.” “Ancient Persians believed that evil forces were strongest on the longest and darkest night of the year,” These missions were built to convert Native Americans to Catholicism – people whose cultures had already, for thousands of years, celebrated the solstice sun’s seeming victory over darkness. Rather, it’s when “the sun appears the lowest in the Northern Hemisphere sky and is at its farthest southern point over Earth,” Its winter solstice will arrive June 21, 2023, the same day the Northern Hemisphere celebrates its summer solstice. “These events offer us insights into archaeology, cosmology and Spanish colonial history,” Mendoza wrote. But it’s also traditionally been a time of renewal and celebration – little wonder that so many cultures mark major holidays just around this time. Many Native American communities have long held solstice ceremonies, If you’ve already spend hours shoveling snow this year, you may be dismayed to realize that technically, it’s not yet winter. 21, 2022](https://aa.usno.navy.mil/calculated/seasons?year=2022&tz=5&tz_sign=-1&tz_label=false&dst=false&submit=Get+Data): the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice.

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) - December 21st marks the shortest day of the calendar year. And because of that, the Marietta Castle Museum is hosting its annual ...

“I think there is a lot of interest in both the ancient past and the more recent historic past. And we have quite a few people that come to town from some distance to see these things,” says Clark. Castle Museum archaeologist, Wesley Clark says that the watch continues to grow each year and that he is glad to see continued interest in this annual gathering.

The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power co-hosted a winter solstice sunrise ceremony at 7 a.m. ...

The DWP had informational booths about conserving water usage at home. The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power co-hosted a winter solstice sunrise ceremony at 7 a.m. It is sometimes open to the public for special events, including an Earth Day open house in April. However, it is off limits to the public. City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks during the Winter Solstice Sunrise Ceremony held by the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and the LADWP at the Chatsworth Nature Preserve Wednesday morning.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer) 21 at the Chatsworth Nature Preserve, drawing tribal elders and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

As they put it: “As we approach the Winter Solstice we join together to celebrate our inner oneness of light, love and magic; of ourselves and mother earth, ….

Some people may choose to celebrate it a bit more festively than others — the What is a bowl meditation? The event is free but has a $10 suggested donation.

The local weather people are predicting serious cold (for here in Gulf Coast Texas), persisting through the holiday weekend. I have winter clothes, and time.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. How little we really need! Looking East, the incredible golden sunrise reflected by the water was ever changing and beautiful.

Thousands of people watched the sun come up at the ancient Neolithic monument after the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. English Heritage ...

"It's been the shortest day of the year and we come to celebrate with like-minded people. It was the shortest day of the year on Wednesday and so people gathered to celebrate the days getting longer. Thousands of people watched the sun come up at the ancient Neolithic monument after the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

We made it! Wednesday marked the 2022 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Daylight in our region will be two seconds ...

A big factor is the increased level of snow cover that occurs in the Rockies and eastern states in January, which helps lower the temperatures. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds. Wednesday marked the 2022 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Afterward, there’s a good chance we’ll be turning the corner toward milder days. That may come as no surprise, considering the arctic air mass that’s encased our region in a deep freeze this week. The cold air mass should loosen its grip this weekend.

Cultures and faith communities across the globe have celebrated the winter solstice for thousands of years, and now Christians are joining them.

[meditation](https://www.centerforspiritualityinnature.org/post/there-will-be-light) for the winter solstice has this to say: “Darkness is difficult and challenging for many of us. In this liminal space engaging the solstice and the natural world as part of one’s spiritual practice, this winter can add an additional layer of meaning to Advent and provide an opportunity to experience God in a new way. Christian metaphors of the Christ-light coming into the world and overcoming darkness (such as in the prologue to John’s Gospel) fit with the universal experience of the lengthening day. “The nature-mysticism of Celtic spirituality appeals to today’s increasingly ‘spiritual but not religious’ crowd, and also to the growing number of people who are concerned for eco-justice,” he said. “In the 21st century, this intuitive sense of sacred nature is strengthened by scientific and philosophical discoveries proving the one-ness, the interconnectedness, of living beings.” Part of the church’s new intergenerational vision for reaching the community, the Garden Church also gathered for the summer solstice to watch the sunset and read prayers from the Celtic tradition. In addition to enjoying warmth and fellowship around the fire, a member of a parenting group on Facebook says her family uses the time to focus on the rebirth of the sun and the start of the new year. Edward the Confessor Burgess Hill](https://www.facebook.com/StEdwardsBurgessHill/) in West Sussex, England, created an Advent spiral from holly berries and clusters of greenery gathered in the churchyard. “In Celtic traditions or Western Germanic traditions there seems to be something around fire and asking the sun to come back through light and through flames,” said Isobel at the Crannog Centre. Looking forward to the renewal of spring but also being completely in the moment.” “It was the result of a crisis of faith and not knowing where I stood spiritually,” he said. “And it’s a deep need, it’s deep yearning that’s pulling us back to our original way of finding God.”

'Unprecedented' number watch sunrise on Salisbury Plain and savour the prospect of days growing longer.

One woman told how she married her late husband on the winter solstice and came to the circle at this time every year. “More people are turning to paganism, coming over to our way of thinking and finding some peace here. “I find the solstices and the equinoxes are a good time to take stock, check how you’re doing, look back at what you’ve achieved and think about what might come along. “I know it’s really from the crush of people in the circle but I like to think there’s a magical heat coming from the stones. When you’re at work or on the street you can see the pressure everyone is under, but when you come up here, people’s troubles seem to melt away, at least for a few minutes and you can look forward. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” said Sam MacDonald, an NHS worker from Oxford, who had taken a day off to attend the solstice event with her two young children.