Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official first day of winter, is on Thursday, December 21, this year (well, for the vast bulk of the Americas anyway). Solstices and Earth’s hemispheresThe winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun appears at its most southerly position, directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn. Because of time zone differences, Europe, Africa and Asia will technically mark their winter solstice on Friday, December 22. Daylight decreases dramatically the closer you are to the North Pole on winter solstice. Part of Druidic traditions, the winter solstice is considered a time of death and rebirth.

Source: CNN December 21, 2023 21:29 UTC