Winter Solstice - 4:23pm CST today

I think this is one of the most interesting, and in modern times underappreciated, days/events of the year. Many centuries ago our ancestors figured out this day was so special because the days finally stopped getting shorter and started getting longer. This day deserved, and got,a very special celebration!

Even Christmas was chosen for late-December because of the Winter Solstice, not because of the actual birthday of Jesus of Nazareth.

Since Christians say, mostly correctly... that Jesus is the reason for the Season, it is fair to add that the Winter Solstice is the season for that reason!

Enjoy this "shortest" day of the year! But no naked dancing. Unless you are a hot chick, and film it.

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When is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the whole year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it always occurs around December 21 or 22. (In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs around June 20 or 21.)

In 2018, the winter solstice arrives on Friday, December 21, at 5:23 pm EST.
Coincidentally, December’s full Moon—the Full Cold Moon—will also appear on the night of the 21st, though it will not be at its absolute peak until the next day. So, keep your eyes peeled for a (near) Winter Solstice Full Moon that night! (Believe it or not, the next full Moon to actually peak on the winter solstice won’t be until 2094!)

Winter Solstice Dates (Northern Hemisphere)
2018 - Friday, December 21
2019 - Saturday, December 21
2020 - Monday, December 21

What is the Winter Solstice?
The word solstice comes from Latin sol “sun” and sistere “to stand still.” In the Northern Hemisphere, as summer advances to winter, the points on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets advance southward each day; the high point in the Sun’s daily path across the sky, which occurs at local noon, also moves southward each day.

At the winter solstice, the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position. The next day, the path will advance northward. However, a few days before and after the winter solstice, the change is so slight that the Sun’s path seems to stay the same, or stand still. The Sun is directly overhead at “high-noon” on Winter Solstice at the latitude called the Tropic of Capricorn.

Old Farmer's Almanac

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