What is the winter solstice?
THE WINTER solstice has approached, bringing about the shortest day of the year.
Marking the end of autumn and the advent of winter, here are some of the traditions and history surrounding this time of year.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice marks the day of the year with the fewest sunlight hours, or simply the shortest day in the year.
This year, it is taking place on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
In Latin, the word solstice literally means that the sun is standing still.
It marks the point when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the sun.
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How do pagans and druids celebrate the winter solstice?
Pagan and druid communities in the UK and Ireland dress in traditional costumes and mark the first sunrise after the astronomical event.
They are known to gather at Stonehenge four times a year for the two solstices and two equinoxes. Here, they would perform historic ceremonies as an ode to the changing seasons, the sun, and the sky.
What traditions are held during the winter solstice?
Every year, hundreds of people also gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise over the stones for the winter solstice, which falls between December 19 and 22.
It is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
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The winter solstice is also celebrated in Newgrange in County , Ireland.
What are some other winter solstice celebrations like?
Celebrations of the lighter days to come have been common throughout history, with feasts, festivals, and holidays around the December solstice celebrated by cultures across the globe.
- St Thomas Day: This is observed by Christians around the world.
- Feast of Juul: Marked in Scandinavia where people light fires to symbolise the heat and light of the returning sun.
- Yalda: An Iranian festival celebrated on the "longest and darkest night of the year,” where watermelons are eaten to protect against excessive heat or disease.
- Palo Volador: In Guatemala, Mayans indulge in the ritual known as the “flying pole dance."
Why are Stonehenge and Newgrange relevant to the winter solstice?
The stones of Stonehenge have silently marked the winter solstice for thousands of years.
They were shaped and set up to frame at least two important events in the annual solar cycle.
One is the midsummer sunrise at the summer solstice. The other is the midwinter sunset at the winter solstice.
In Newgrange, County Meath, during sunrise on the shortest day of the year, direct sunlight can enter the monument for 17 minutes.
It does not enter through the doorway but through the specially contrived small opening above the entrance known as the “roof box,” where it illuminates its chamber.