Winter Solstice: A Turning Point

If you think the daylight seems to linger just a bit longer today, you're not wrong.

At 12:30 this morning the Winter Solstice arrived in the Northeast, marking the night of Dec. 21 into Dec. 22 as the longest of the year. Going forward, the nights will begin to lessen, along with the hours of darkness.

The winter solstice marks the day of the year when the sun is its furthest from the celestial equator. The winter solstice is synonymous with the official start of the winter season and correlates with a variety of winter holiday celebrations.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is characterized as the shortest day of the year with the longest night. Conversely, the winter solstice also denotes the moment at which the days begin to lengthen and grow brighter. Scientifically speaking, the winter solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination, when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun.

The Julian Calendar, established around 46 BC and named after Julius Caesar, marked the winter solstice as Dec. 25. It wasn’t until the late 1500’s that the Gregorian calendar tweaked the date to Dec. 21. From year to year, however, the date fluctuates from Dec. 20 to Dec. 23 depending on the current year in the Gregorian calendar.

This year, winter officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 22 at 12:30 a.m. EST.

For thousands of years, the winter solstice has played a significant role in religion, spirituality and celebratory festivities. Not only is the winter solstice seen as a time to celebrate the return of light (sun), it is also considered a time of great personal reflection.  

Winter solstice-related trivia:

• The word solstice comes from two Latin words meaning, "sun" and "to stop”.
• The Incas celebrated Init, the sun god, through winter solstice festivities.
• A noontime shadow around the solstice is the longest shadow of the year. (With the clouds and rain today, it might be difficult to test that one out.)
• The winter solstice in ancient Japan was marked by the sun goddess Amateras’ emergence from her cave.
• In ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated with a festival called Saturnalia, in honor of the deity Saturn.
• The winter-time celebration of Yule marks the death and rebirth cycle of the sun (with ties to pre-Christian Scandinavia, Norway, Germany and England) and celebrates the legendary battle between the Oak King and the Holly King.
• In Germany, the winter solstice was a time of celebration for Hertha, the Norse goddess of light. 
• In 2012, the winter solstice will occur on 12.21.12. The “end” of the Mayan calendar and some say, the world.
• The Christmas celebration of Jesus Christ as the birth of the "light of the world" coincides with the metaphorical, annual "rebirth of the sun". Coincidence? I'll leave that up to you to ponder.