The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, occurs on Saturday, December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. From an astronomical point of view, this astronomical event marks the first day of winter.
What is the winter solstice?
winter solstice It is the day each year when the duration of daylight between sunrise and sunset is shortest, and therefore the night is longest. This occurs when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the globe south of the equator. National Weather Service Explains.
The farther north you are, the shorter the day, and in the Arctic Circle, the sun won't rise at all.
How is the day of the winter solstice determined?
The winter solstice is caused by the tilt of the Earth as it rotates around the Sun.
When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun, the nights become longer. The longest night occurs at the solstice as the hemisphere is at its farthest position from the Sun. It occurs every year on 21 or 22 December.
This year, it falls on December 21st. 4:21 am ETTo be precise.
At the summer solstice, when the North Pole is closest to the Sun, we have the longest day, usually June 20 or 21.
National Weather Service
The solstice does not always occur on the 21st every year because the Earth's revolution around the Sun takes 365.25 days instead of 365 days.
Will the days start getting longer after the winter solstice?
Yes. Every day after Sankranti we get one minute more sunlight. It doesn't seem like much, but after just two months, or about 60 days, we'll see about an hour more sunlight.
When will winter officially end in 2025?
Meteorological winter will end on March 20, 2025. Then, spring will last until June 20, when the summer solstice arrives.
How is the winter solstice celebrated around the world?
Nations and cultures around the world celebrated Sankranti With different customs and traditions since ancient times. The influence of those solstice traditions can still be seen in our celebrations of holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah, Britannica notes.
The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival celebrated the end of the planting season and is closely related to the modern Christmas. It honored Shani, the god of harvest and farming. The event took place over several days with lots of food, games and festivities. Gifts were given to children and the poor, and slaves were allowed to stop working.
The meeting is held every year at stonehengeA monumental circle of huge stones in England that is approximately 5,000 years old. Stonehenge's origins are shrouded in mystery, but it was built to align with the Sun on the day of Sankranti,
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The Hopi, a Native American tribe in the northern Arizona region, celebrate the winter solstice with dancing, purification, and sometimes gift giving. a sacred ritual known as soil ceremony Marks annual milestones.
In Peru, people honor the return of the sun god on the winter solstice. The ancient tradition was to hold sacrificial ceremonies, but today, people hold mock sacrifices to celebrate. Because Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, their winter solstice occurs in June, when the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating its summer solstice.
Scandinavia celebrates St. Lucia Day, the festival of lights.
The “arrival of winter” or Dong Zi, is a Chinese festival where families gather to celebrate the year round. Traditional foods include tang yuan, sweet rice balls filled with black sesame seeds. It is believed to have originated from post-harvest celebrations.
Researchers stationed in Antarctica also have their own traditions, which may include icy dip In polar waters. They celebrate “Midwinter” with festive food, movies, and sometimes homemade gifts.