The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year with the longest night of the year. The December solstice also marks the official start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere, taking place this year on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4:20 a.m. EST. This is different than meteorological winter, which starts on Dec. 1.
But as AccuWeather reports, the solstice is also a signal of more daylight to come in the following days, and it’s one of the origins of the modern winter holidays. It coincides with the summer solstice and the longest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
Seasons change on Earth because the planet is slightly tilted on its axis as it travels around the Sun.
The December solstice marks the moment the sun shines at the Earth’s most southern point, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and the Southern Hemisphere is pointed towards it. As a result, those in the Northern Hemisphere get less sunlight, meaning colder weather. According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, the winter solstice marks the time when the Northern and Southern hemispheres begin to trade places in receiving the sun’s most direct light and warmth.
The word solstice comes from the Latin words “sol,” meaning sun, and “sistere,” meaning to stop. “It’s really a standing point in the movement of the sun,” said Anthony Aveni, professor emeritus of astronomy, anthropology and Native American studies at Colgate University.
On the December solstice, all locations south of the equator have day lengths greater than 12 hours. Meanwhile, all locations north of the equator, like the United States, have days less than 12 hours long. The gradually shortened hours of sunlight that culminate into the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere can often have a ‘”winter doldrums” sort of effect on people.
According to Aveni, the tension over whether the sun would ever come back caused ancient peoples to wonder what they could do to appease the gods. For example, the Greeks made offerings to the god Apollo, the Incas to the sun god Inti and the Mayans to the god Kinich Ahau. For a week each December, the ancient Romans also celebrated the solstice by honoring the god Saturn.
When Christianity came onto the world scene, Aveni said, those ancient solstice celebrations evolved into Christmas. He said the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was not actually in December but was changed to fit the season’s celebrations.
But rest assured, there is a silver lining. Once the winter solstice passes, the days will get longer and the nights shorter north of the equator until the summer solstice on June 20, 2025, when things reverse.
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