A COLOURFUL cast of pagans and druids have gathered at Stonehenge to mark the winter solstice together.
Thousands looked to the heavens to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.
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Heavily-tattooed reveller known as Mad Al celebrates the solstice alongside a woman clad in a white robeCredit: PA:Press Association
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Rollo Maufling, the Archdruid of Stonehenge and Britain, celebrates the solstice with his followersCredit: Getty Images
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Visitors rejoiced, embraced each other and kissed the stones, as the sun rose over the stone circle at 8.13amCredit: PA:Press Association
Some people offered prayers to gods, while others sounded trumpets, drums and other musical instruments.
Visitors were seen rejoicing and embracing each other and kissing the stones, as the sun rose over the stone circle at 8.13am.
Kate Davies from English Heritage, which looks after the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, said: "We were delighted to welcome approximately 5,000 people to Stonehenge to celebrate winter solstice this morning.
"It was a very enjoyable and peaceful celebration and the ancient stone circle was filled with the sound of drumming and chanting."
Although the entire day is typically considered to be the solstice, the precise moment it occurs is when the sun is directly over the line marking the latitude stretching across the southern hemisphere: the Tropic of Capricorn.
This year it is believed to have happened at 10.44am GMT, according to science website earthsky.org.
However, according to English Heritage the site was cleared by 10am to open for the general public, so people were not able to worship at the specific solstice time.
Daylight on Wednesday will last just seven hours, 49 minutes and 41 seconds - almost nine hours less than the year's longest day in the summer.
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Approximately 5,000 people gazed to the heavens to witness the sunrise on the shortest day of the yearCredit: PA:Press Association
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Susie Ro Prater leads the Shakti Sings choir as druids, pagans and revellers gather in the centre of StonehengeCredit: Getty Images
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By the time of the actual solstice at 10.44am this morning the site had been cleared to open to the general publicCredit: Getty Images
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Revellers embraced amid joyful scenes within the prehistoric monumentCredit: Reuters
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A woman provides her own soundtrack to proceedings by playing a whistleCredit: Getty Images
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Following the sunrise, revellers gathered around the stone circle before they were turfed out at 10amCredit: Getty Images
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Druids play guitar and fiddle after celebrating the sunrise togetherCredit: Getty Images
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A heavily-tattooed reveller blows a horn amid jubilant scenes at StonehengeCredit: PA:Press Association
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People from all walks of life joined together to celebrate the winter solstice this morningCredit: Alamy
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Music played an important role in the celebrations at the monument that is sacred to manyCredit: Getty Images
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Members of the Shakti Sings choir performed in front of the ancient monumentCredit: Getty Images
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Solstice reveller Mad Al dances with for the crowds during the solsticeCredit: Getty Images
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The solstice is considered more important than its summer counterpart as it marks the 're-birth' of the sunCredit: Getty Images
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