Winter Solstice Facts

 

Winter Solstice Facts Winter solstice occurs when the earth's semi-axis tilts farthest from the sun. This occurs twice with the planet earth each year. When the northern hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, which occurs on approximately December 20th to 22nd each year, the northern hemisphere's winter begins. When the southern hemisphere is tilted farthest from the sun, which occurs on approximately June 20th to June 22nd each year, the southern hemisphere's winter begins. The maximum axial tilt of the earth is reached when the northern or southern winter solstices occur. When one hemisphere experiences summer solstice, the other hemisphere experiences winter solstice.

Interesting Winter Solstice Facts:

The word solstice is derived from Latin, meaning 'sun stands still' and was chosen because during a solstice the sun appears to remain still in its position in the sky.

When winter solstice occurs in the southern hemisphere it experiences its longest night and shortest day of the year. The opposite is true when the summer solstice occurs, and the southern hemisphere experiences its longest day and night.

When winter solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere it experiences its shortest day and longest night of the year. The opposite is true when the summer solstice occurs, and the northern hemisphere experiences its longest day and shortest night.

For days before and after the winter solstice occurs, the sun appears to stand still in the sky at its noon-time elevation.

Some confuse the solstice with the equinox. Both occur twice a year, but the equinox occurs when the sun is directly above the equator, day and night are equal in length, and the equinox marks the beginnings of fall and spring, depending on the hemisphere.

Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England is a popular spot during winter and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Newgrange in Ireland is another monument dating back thousands of years that appears to have been built in alignment with the solstice.

The winter solstice is also referred to as Midwinter, the Longest Night, and Yule.

Solstices have been used throughout history to time many important events each year, including the sowing of seeds for crops, mating of animals, harvesting of crops, and monitoring the reserves of winter food.

The actual moment that the solstice occurs cannot be observed by amateurs because the sun moves so slowly that astronomical data tracking must be used to pinpoint the actual moment of the solstice.

During the winter solstice the sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky.

Following the winter solstice the days begin to become longer while the nights begin to shorten.

Following the winter solstice the temperatures become colder. In the northern hemisphere the coldest months are December, January and February, while in the summer hemisphere the coldest months are June, July, and August.

During the solstice, whether it is summer or winter solstice, the sun isn't moving - it's actually the earth tilting to and away from the sun.

Although winter solstice marks the beginning of the astrological winter, the coldest winter days are yet to come, often not for a month or even two in some years.

What is Solstice? Facts, Activities & Books for Kids

May 10, 2021

Solstice is observed every year and marks the beginning of the next season. But wait! Do you know what is a Solstice? Why we have solstice? Is it because of the revolution of the Earth around the Sun or is it due to the tilt of the Earth?

What is a Solstice?

Summer days are long and hot. With more sunlight hours, we observe the longest day of the year during this time in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, is mostly observed on 20th or 21st June. The same day is also the shortest in the Southern Hemisphere, coinciding with the onset of winter season.

The opposite of Summer Solstice is Winter Solstice that occurs between 20th and 23rd December. Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day of the Southern Hemisphere.

Why Do We Observe Solstice Every Year?

The reason we experience solstices every year is because our planet is tilted at an angle of 23.4 degrees on its rotational axis. That means that instead of being straight in its orbit around the Sun, Earth is inclined at an angle.

As it revolves around the Sun, every year around June 20th or 21st, it is at a point where the North pole is closest to the Sun.

Being closest to the Sun also means plenty of light and that is why, during Summer Solstice, we receive sunlight for maximum time during the day. Thus, making Summer Solstice the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Now since the North pole is tilted towards the Sun, it implies the South pole must face away from the Sun. Hence, indicating less light and winter season in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

Fun Facts About Solstice

1. The word Solstice originates from Latin words Sol meaning Sun and Sistere that means to stand still.

2. During Summer Solstice, North Pole gets 30% more energy from the Sun than the Equator.

3. Despite being the longest day, Summer Solstice is not the warmest day of the year. This is because it takes Earth and its water bodies a lot of time (almost a month) to reflect the extra heat received on Summer Solstice and the days after.

4. Days start getting shorter after Summer Solstice in Northern Hemisphere and longer in Southern Hemisphere.

5. The region north of the Arctic Circle witnesses 24 hours of continual sunlight during summer solstice and no sunlight during winter solstice.

6. Around midday on Summer Solstice, the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. On Winter Solstice, the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn.

7. Ancient people built monuments to celebrate the winter solstice. These include Newgrange of Ireland, Nasca Lines of Peru and Egypt’s temple of Karnak.

8. Iran’s Yalda festival, China’s Dōngzhì festival celebrate Winter Solstice.

Winter Solstice for Kids

Did you ever wonder why the days are so long in the summer and so short in the winter? The length changes throughout the year. In the summer, around June 21 or 22, we experience the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. And in the winter, December 21 or 22 is the winter solstice, or shortest day.

But wait! If you live in New Zealand, you experience the opposite. The longest day is in December and the shortest is in June. Why?

Earth's Angle

The answer all depends on Earth's tilt. In the course of one year, Earth orbits around the sun. It does not complete this trip, however, with the North Pole at the top and the South Pole at the bottom because Earth is tilted. In fact, it's tilted just about 23.5º. So at different times of the year, either the northern or the southern hemisphere is tilted toward and is therefore closer to the sun.

So if you live in the northern hemisphere (north of the equator), Earth is tilted toward the sun in the summer and away from the sun in the winter. The solstice marks the turning point, when the days begin to grow longer (in the winter) or when they begin to grow shorter (in the summer). At the solstice itself, however, the sun appears to stand still in the sky for a few days before and after. The word solstice, in fact, comes from the Latin for sun + to stand still.

Reasons for Seasons

But then why, if the solstice is the turning point, is June 21st considered the first day of summer and December 21st the first day of winter? This odd fact is because while the hours of daylight are changing, the oceans need to catch up. Oceans take a long time to heat up and cool down (something called thermal inertia). In June, they are still cool from the winter, so the warmest days happen in July and August. (Have you ever gone swimming off Cape Cod in June? Brrrr!) Similarly, the oceans hold onto the warmth of summer long after the barbeques have ended. So the coldest days usually happen in January and February. (Again, everything is reversed if you live below the equator.)

Even stranger, Earth is closest to the sun between January 3 and 5, but since the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the nights are long and the weather is cold.

Celebrating the Solstice

People from many different cultures have held solstice celebrations for thousands of years. For our distant ancestors, dependent on hunting, gathering, and growing, the seasons and the weather played a central role in their lives.

In the northern hemisphere, passing the winter solstice meant the return of the sun, which seemed to be disappearing. Many religious and cultural traditions celebrated the rebirth of sunlight after this dark period. The summer solstice, on the other hand, was a time to celebrate renewal, life, fertility, and the potential for a good harvest. It was celebrated through outdoor feasts with singing, dancing, and bonfires.

Winter Traditions

No one knows for sure when Jesus was born. Selecting December 25th to celebrate Christmas was probably no accident. Non-Christians celebrated the rebirth of the sun at this time, traditionally a male god or celestial ruler. Romans celebrated Saturnalia, honoring their god Saturn, with a weeklong December feast beginning December 14th and including observance of the solstice. Homage was also paid to Mithra, an ancient Persian god of light. Similar examples come from numerous cultural and religious traditions. Some scholars believe that Christians chose to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th to make it easier to attract pagans to their faith.

Many seasonal symbols that today are connected to Christmas have their roots in the solstice and pagan celebrations. For example, the yule log came from a pagan ritual. The log was lit on the eve of the solstice?to conquer the darkness, protect against evil spirits, and bring luck?and burned for 12 hours. The log was later replaced by a tree, adorned with burning candles (don't try that at home!).

The Celts thought the sun stood still for 12 days in the middle of winter (could that be the source of the 12 days of Christmas?). Holly, with its bright berries and rich foliage, was an important symbol because it could withstand the harshness of winter and maintain its color and life, as could mistletoe and evergreens.

Building on the Solstice

Ancient buildings have long reflected people's fascination with the sun. Stonehenge is perhaps the best known of these stone structures.