Winter Solstice Marks First Day of Winter

Today marks the winter solstice… and depending on how you look at it, it’s either the shortest day of the year or the longest night. It’s also the first “official” day of winter.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

People have long celebrated the winter solstice. In Ireland, the illumination of the winter solstice is viewed by 20 lucky people every year in the chambers of Newgrange. Closer to home, amateur astronomers will view the solstice sunrise and sunset through sun tunnels in Utah.