The winter solstice is considered the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year, and the event will be broadcast live from several historical landmarks such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland for viewers around the world.
Key Facts
The winter solstice is the point at which the sun’s path is farthest from the northern hemisphere, meaning that Thursday will be the shortest day and longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, according to the American space agency (NASA).
This year’s winter solstice will occur on Thursday at 10:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, marking the first day of the astronomical winter of 2023 and the moment when the northern hemisphere is farthest from the sun.
From that point onward, the days will gradually become longer until they reach the summer solstice, which marks the first day of astronomical summer and the longest day and shortest night of the year.
Changing Sunset Locations
The sunset location changes throughout the year: each night as the winter solstice approaches, the sun sets a bit more towards the south in the northern hemisphere, but after December 21, it will gradually start to set closer to the north each night as the summer solstice approaches, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
At the winter solstice, the sun appears to stop when it reaches its furthest point south and then changes direction to move northward, which gives the day its name, derived from the Latin words “sol” (meaning sun) and “sisto” (or to stop).
As the Earth is slightly tilted while orbiting the sun and different parts receive varying amounts of sunlight, the southern hemisphere will experience its summer solstice while the northern hemisphere celebrates the winter solstice.
Viewing the Winter Solstice
Stonehenge in England is a popular location for celebrating solstices because the monument’s stones were placed in 2500 BC to align with the movement of the sun, according to English Heritage, which manages Stonehenge. About 8,000 people attended the summer solstice celebration in 2023, with over 150,000 people joining the live broadcast. The winter solstice at Stonehenge will also be live-streamed by English Heritage. Another place where people gather is Newgrange, an ancient burial site in Ireland. It is designed so that sunlight only enters the inner passage during the morning around the winter solstice. This will be broadcast via the official website of the Irish government.
Main Background
Different cultures around the world celebrate the winter solstice in their own ways. Yule is a pagan festival heralding the “end of descending into darkness” and a celebration of light, according to sociologist Helen A. Berger. Although the tradition predates Christmas, some aspects have been incorporated into Christmas traditions, such as Yule logs and singing Yule. The Yalda festival is an Iranian tradition celebrating the birth of the sun god Mithra. Pomegranates and watermelons are significant symbols during the holiday as they are believed to protect Iranians from illness during the winter. The Hopi Native American tribes in northern Arizona celebrate a festival called Soyal that lasts for 16 days, which ritualistically brings the sun back from its winter sleep, according to Indian American sources. Dongzhi – which translates to “arrival of winter” – is a traditional Chinese festival that includes customs such as sky worship and the nine-day winter celebration. This is the belief that winter comes in nine-day periods beginning on the winter solstice.
Additional Information
Season timings are defined by two categories: astronomical seasons and climatic seasons, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Climatic classification divides the seasons into three-month periods based on a heat cycle that begins on the first day of the first month of the season. For this reason, meteorological spring always begins on March 1, summer on June 1, autumn on September 1, and winter on December 1. Astronomical seasons are determined by the Earth’s natural orbit around the sun. As the Earth travels around the sun in 365.24 days, an extra day – or leap day – is needed every four years, which is also why the exact first day of the seasons and solstices varies. The spring equinox – the day when day and night are nearly equal worldwide – typically occurs around March 21, while the summer solstice is around June 21, and the autumn equinox is about September 22. The day on which the winter solstice occurs changes each year, although it usually happens on December 21 or 22. In rare cases, it can occur on December 20 or December 23.
Reading
Additional
The winter solstice: the sun stands still on Saturday (space)
Astronomical seasons vs. meteorological seasons (National Centers for Environmental Information)
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