Winter solstice how long

This was a festival observed in Scandinavia when fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning Sun. A Yule—or Juul —log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god, Thor.

In England, Germany, France, and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and spread into the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night, or worn around the neck as a charm. French peasants would place the cooled ashes from the log under their beds, believing they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated with these fires associated with the Feast of Juul.

In addition to the traditions from western cultures, the Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival is celebrated as a time for the entire family to get together to celebrate the past good year. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang , or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated.

Dumplings are usually eaten. In Ancient Rome, the Winter Solstice festival referred to as Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturnus, the Roman god of agriculture and harvest, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgiven, wars were postponed, and people engaged in carnival-like festivities.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, check your noontime shadow around the time of the solstice: It will be your longest noontime shadow of the year. This is because the Sun is at different angles. I most certainly appreciate how Christmas has been explained in as an amalgamation of all cultures celebrations combined…similar to us Americans not having a true American language.

Good article. A great breakdown of the various pagan traditions, who celebrated them and how they celebrated them. Good Yule and Merry Solstice! I am from the Philippines. This cycle will continue to occur throughout our lives as it always, has, sometimes varying one to two days before or after the 21st of the month, depending on the year. So yes, starting the day after the winter solstice, you might find it just a tad easier to get out of bed in the morning. It might not be warmer, but knowing you're another day closer to summer will surely be encouragement enough to face the day.

If you're not a fan of winter, just remember that it doesn't last forever and definitely helps us to appreciate the warmer months. And if you are a rare winter-lover, rest assured you've got many more cold days ahead of you! By Kaitlyn Wylde. See All Health Relationships Self. But that's about to reverse itself. Winter solstice , the shortest day of year and the official start of winter, is on Monday, December How it all works has fascinated people for thousands of years.

First we'll look at the science and precise timing behind the solstice. Then we'll discover some ancient traditions and celebrations around the world though many of 's celebrations are being canceled or modified for the pandemic.

Finally, we'll learn about a delightful show in the heavens special for winter solstice The science and timing behind a winter solstice.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun appears at its most southerly position, directly overhead at the faraway Tropic of Capricorn. The situation is the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere. There, the December solstice marks the longest day of the year -- and the beginning of summer in places such as Argentina, Australia and South Africa.

The images were captured about 24 hours before the winter solstice. When exactly does it occur? The solstice usually -- but not always -- takes place on December The time that the solstice occurs and the day itself shifts because the solar year the time it takes for the sun to reappear in the same spot as seen from Earth doesn't exactly match up to our calendar year. If you want to be super-precise in your observations, the exact time of the winter solstice will be Coordinated Universal Time UTC on Monday.

Here are some examples of when that will be for local times around the world:. Monday -- Bangkok: p. Monday -- Dubai: p. Monday -- Rome: a. Monday -- Casablanca, Morocco: a. Monday same as UTC -- Boston: a. Monday -- Vancouver: a. Monday -- Honolulu: a. To check the timing where you live, the website EarthSky has a handy conversion table for your time zone. You might also try the conversion tools at Timezoneconverter. What places see and feel the effects of the winter solstice the most?

Daylight decreases dramatically the closer you are to the North Pole on December People in balmy Singapore , just kilometers or 85 miles north of the equator, barely notice the difference, with just nine less minutes of daylight than they have during the summer solstice. Much higher in latitude, Madrid, Spain , still logs in a respectable nine hours and 17 minutes of daylight during the winter solstice.

Petersburg, Russia, is lit up electrically. Sunshine is in scarce supply here in the days leading up to winter solstice.