![]() ![]() 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. It is called the shortest day as it has the least amount of daylight. Which is the smallest day of the year In the Northern Hemisphere. The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere always occurs in December. The winter solstice occurs in December and in the northern hemisphere the date marks the 24-hour period with the fewest daylight hours of the year, which is why it is known as the shortest day and longest night. 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. In 2019 the winter solstice will occur on Sunday 22 December. 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. ![]() How it all works has fascinated people for thousands of years. The June solstice marks the longest day north of the equator and the shortest day in the. Winter solstice 2020, the shortest day of year and the official start of winter, is on Monday, December 21. 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. There are two solstices every year: one in June and one in December. 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. ![]()
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