The Winter
Solstice is the shortest day of the year. It occurs when the sun's daily
maximum height in the sky is at its lowest, and the North Pole is tilted
furthest away from the sun. This results in the least number of daylight hours
and the longest night of the year.
Winter solstice, falling this year on Sunday, Dec. 21, marks
the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. More precisely, winter
officially begins at 6:03 p.m. ET — the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is
pointed at its furthest distance from the sun. This means winter solstice
boasts the longest night and the shortest day, and often colder temperatures,
too.
Officially the first day of winter, the winter solstice
occurs when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. This is
the longest night of the year, meaning that
despite the cold winter, the days get progressively longer after the winter solstice until the summer solstice
in 2015.
One of the most famous celebrations of the winter solstice in the world today takes
place in the ancient ruins of Stonehenge, England. Thousands of druids
and pagans gather there to chant, dance and sing while waiting to see the
spectacular sunrise.
In
ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated at the Feast of
Saturnalia, to honor Saturn, the god of agricultural bounty. Lasting about a
week, Saturnalia was characterized by feasting, debauchery and gift-giving.
With Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity, many of these customs
were later absorbed into Christmas celebrations.
Germanic peoples would celebrate
the winter festival by honoring the pagan god Odin. Many believed he would fly
through the night sky (on a magical flying horse) and determine who would be
blessed or cursed in the coming year. Many decided to stay indoors, fearing Odin’s
wrath.
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