Winter Solstice 2024: Interesting Facts About Shortest Day Of The Year

What is Winter Solstice? 

Simply put, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

The word ‘Solstice’ is derived from a Latin word, ‘Sol’ meaning ‘Sun’ and ‘Sistre’ which translates to ‘Stands still’

National Geographic says, “The winter solstice marks the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun.”

Winter solstice typically happens on the 21st or 22nd of December, at the same second around the world.

The shortest day of the year is also the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

On the shortest day of the year, the North Pole experiences 24 hours of night and the South Pole receives 24 hours of daylight.

Astronomically, the winter solstice marks the beginning of the winter season, however, meteorologically, it begins on December 1.