Saturday is the winter solstice and 2024’s shortest day. Here’s what to know about the official start of winter.
The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, occurs on Saturday, December 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomically speaking, this celestial phenomenon symbolizes the first day of winter.
When is the winter solstice?
this winter solstice It is the shortest day of the year between sunrise and sunset, and therefore the longest night. This happens when the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the Earth south of the equator, National Weather Service explained.
The days get shorter the further north you go, and above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t rise at all.
How is the date of the winter solstice determined?
The winter solstice occurs due to the tilt of the Earth as it rotates around the sun.
When the Northern Hemisphere moves away from the sun, nights last longer. The longest night occurs at the summer solstice because the hemisphere is at its furthest point from the sun. This happens every year on December 21st or 22nd.
This year it’s December 21st 4:21 a.m. Eastern Timeto be precise.
On the summer solstice, when the north tilts closest to the sun, we have our longest day, usually June 20 or 21.
National Weather Service
The annual summer solstice does not always fall exactly on the 21st because the Earth takes 365.25 days to rotate around the sun, not 365 days.
Will the days get longer after the winter solstice?
Yes. Every day after the summer solstice, we get an extra minute of sunlight. It doesn’t sound like much, but after just two months, or about 60 days, we’ll see about an hour of sunlight.
When does winter officially end in 2025?
Meteorological winter ends on March 20, 2025. Then, spring will continue until the summer solstice on June 20.
How are the winter solstice celebrated around the world?
People and cultures from all over the world have celebrate summer solstice There have been different rituals and traditions since ancient times. The influence of these solstice traditions can still be seen in our celebration of holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, Encyclopedia Britannica notes.
The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia celebrated the end of the planting season and is closely related to modern Christmas. It honors Saturn, the god of harvest and farming. The multi-day event features lots of food, games and festivities. Gifts were given to children and the poor, and slaves were allowed to stop working.
There is a party every year at stonehengeis a large stone circle in England that dates back approximately 5,000 years. Stonehenge’s origins are shrouded in mystery, but it was built to align with the sun summer solstice.
Andrew Matthews/PA Photo via Getty Images
The Hopi are a Native American tribe in northern Arizona who celebrate the winter solstice by dancing, purifying, and sometimes giving gifts. a sacred ritual known as soybean ceremony Marking an annual milestone.
In Peru, people celebrate the return of the sun god at the winter solstice. The ancient tradition was to hold sacrificial rituals, but today, people hold mock sacrifices to celebrate. Since Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, their Winter Solstice occurs in June, while the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating the Summer Solstice.
Scandinavia celebrates Saint Lucia – the Festival of Lights.
“Winter Solstice” is a festival in China where families gather together to celebrate the new year. Traditional foods include glutinous rice balls, sweet glutinous rice balls stuffed with black sesame seeds. It is believed to have originated from post-harvest celebrations.
Researchers stationed in Antarctica even have their own traditions, which may include icy plunge Enter polar waters. They celebrate “midwinter” with holiday meals, movies, and sometimes homemade gifts.
