EVERY year the longest and shortest days are marked by a solstice when people celebrate the astronomical phenomenon by watching the sun rise.
But when is the winter solstice and what does it all mean? We've got the lowdown...
Alamy Winter solstice is on December 21 each year
When is the winter solstice in 2017?
The winter solstice is on December 21 and is the "shortest" day of the year and marks the start of the winter period.
This is because the tilt of the Earth’s axis is least aligned with the sun, providing us with the least daylight of the year.
After December 21, the nights will begin to get shorter as our planet rotates towards the sun.
The date where Earth is the nearest to the star is marked by the summer solstice.
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What time is sunset on the shortest day of the year?
On the shortest day of the year, the sun is due to set VERY early, sinking below the horizon in the UK at around 3:54pm depending on your exact location.
You can check the precise times in your area using this sunset calendar.
Alamy People flock to Stonehenge to celebrate the winter solstice every year
What happens at Stonehenge on the winter solstice?
Every year in December visitors from around the world flock to Stonehenge to mark the winter solstice.
Early in the morning on December 21, astronomical phenomenon is celebrated by visitors who gather to see the sunrise above the stones.
The sunrise on the day is at 8.04am.
The organisers of the event write on their website: "The Winter Solstice is the most important day of the year at Stonehenge and a truly magical time to be there.
"It's an ad hoc celebration that brings together England's New Age Tribes (neo-druids, neo-pagans, Wiccans) with ordinary families, tourists, travelers and party people - 100's of them!"
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It may feel like the days can't get any shorter, but we still haven't yet reached the winter solstice , which is the shortest day of the year.
The solstice marks the moment the sun shines at its most southern point, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn.
It been celebrated by pagans for thousands of years, and many of the traditions now associated with Christmas had their roots in winter solstice celebrations - including the Christmas tree.
(Image: Getty)
The world might look pretty grim now, but remember: as soon as the solstice has passed, the days will start getting longer again and you can start looking forward to Spring.
Here's your guide to the darkest day of the year - and a few reasons to be cheerful about it.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the official beginning of winter.
The solstice itself is the moment the sun is shining farthest to the south, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn.
(Image: PA)
When is the Winter Solstice?
The date of the winter solstice is different every year, falling between December 20th and 23rd.
This year, the solstice will occur on Thursday, December 21. The sun will rise in the UK at 08:03 GMT and set at 15:53 GMT, giving just 7 hours and 50 minutes of daylight.
Traditions and rituals
The winter solstice is a major pagan festival, with rituals of rebirth having been celebrated for thousands of years.
Every year revellers gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise on the shortest day.
(Image: PA)
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Many of the traditions we now think of as being part of Christmas - including Yule logs, mistletoe and Christmas trees - have their roots in the pagan celebrations of winter solstice.
Wait, the Christmas tree was originally a winter solstice tree?
Sort of. The Druids - the priests of the ancient Celts - used evergreen trees , holly and mistletoe as symbols of everlasting life during winter solstice rituals.
Cutting them down and putting them in their homes would have been too destructive to nature.
But when Saint Boniface, also known as Winfrith of Crediton, found a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree in 8th Century Germany, he cut the tree down.
Some say he then planted a fir tree on the spot after the pagans converted - others that a fir tree sprang up on the spot.
Myth has it the converted pagans in the region returned the following year to decorate the fir tree.
Will the days start getting longer again?
Yes. After the solstice, the days will gradually get longer until the summer solstice on Thursday, 21 June 2018.
The revolution will not be televised. It'll be sent to your inbox by us.
Thursday's Winter Solstice Is More Than the Longest Night of the Year It's all in our tilt.
If you’ve ever asked your friend to explain what the winter solstice is, you’ve probably gotten a response along the lines of: “It’s the longest night of the year!” While this is true — the sun is in the sky for the shortest amount of time of the year — the winter solstice is also a key moment in the changing of our seasons.
If you’re living in the Northern Hemisphere and have had a lot of time on your hands, you’ve probably noticed that the sun looks like it’s getting smaller and moving south. Well, as you know, the Earth orbits around the sun, so it’s actually us doing the moving, but still.
The Earth revolves around the sun at a slight angle — 23.44 degrees to be exact. This tilt gives us all four of our seasons. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun, its rays are hitting the top half of our planet directly, which means it’s summer up here. When the opposite is the case, it’s winter, like right now.
The winter solstice, which is happening on December 21, is the time when the Northern Hemisphere has tilted as far away from the sun as possible. This means the sun will set earlier than it has all year long, making for a seriously extended night. It’s perfect if you want to catch up on some snoozing, or just really like the darkness.
From the 21st forward, the Northern Hemisphere will slowly tilt back towards the sun, ushering in spring and, eventually, summer. The sun will once again begin rising higher and appearing bigger in the sky.
For us, this yearly occurrence is nothing more than a really long night and maybe some complaints about the sun setting way too soon. But for ancient civilizations, this time of the year was cause for huge celebration because it marked the “rebirth” of the sun.
Civilizations across Europe would get together and feast, Druids would gather to dance and sing, and the Mayans built pyramids commemorating this time of the year.
So why not commemorate this transitional time of year by throwing a solstice rager? You’ll have plenty of dark hours to throw down.
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Compiled by Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com
The winter solstice is Dec. 21 for the northern hemisphere -- but what exactly is the winter solstice? And why is it important?
Read on to find out the definition of the solstice, traditions for celebrating it and how long, exactly, is the shortest day of the year.
