Thankfully, after we reach the winter solstice, the days begin to once again grow longer and longer until we reach the summer solstice-the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. (For the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on June 20 or 21.) The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year, making it the “shortest day” of the year.

The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which occurs on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 4:48 P.M. EST.įor the northern half of Earth (the Northern Hemisphere), the winter solstice occurs annually on December 21 or 22. While many of the traditions around the period were absorbed into Christmas following the rise of Christianity, the year’s shortest day still holds significance for many.Advertisement When Is the First Day of Winter? Romans had their own similar observance called Saturnalia (in honour of the god Saturn), which began on 17 December and involved a full week of partying and subverting ordinary social behaviour.

The festival was observed by the early Germanic peoples of Northern Europe, who gathered to celebrate the the revival of the sun bringing brighter times ahead.Ĭeltic druids would mark the winter solstice with the cutting of mistletoe and lighting a “yule log”, believed to banish darkness and evil spirits. The winter solstice has been associated with rituals and celebrations from the earliest human times, with traditions now associated with Christmas beginning as observances of the astronomical phenomenon.įor example, the origins of Christmas trees and wreaths can be found in the 12-day pagan holiday of “Yule”, which centred around the solstice. What is the meaning behind the winter solstice? These are the two points in the year when the equator is the closest part of Earth to the sun which, in theory, means that the whole world gets 12 hours of daylight.

Spring and autumn start on the dates of the two equinoxes in March and September.

What is the shortest day of the year