Winter solstice 2022: What you need to know about the shortest day of the year

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year. This year, it will fall on Thursday, December 22. Also called the hibernal solstice, the winter solstice occurs once a year in each hemisphere – North and South. Here is all you need to know about this astronomical and cultural phenomenon.

Winter solstice 2022 date and time

The winter solstice occurs twice a year – once in the north and once in the south hemisphere. It occurs during the hemisphere’s winter.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice falls in December. In the southern hemisphere, it usually falls on June 20 or June 21.

This year, in India, the winter solstice will fall on December 22. The precise moment of the winter solstice – when the Earth’s north pole points directly away from the sun, and the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, at about 23.4 degrees south – will occur at 03:17 AM IST.

What is winter solstice?

A winter solstice occurs when either one of the Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. On this day, the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.

The word solstice is derived from the Latin word solstitium, where “sol” means Sun and “stitium” means to stop.

Winter solstice significance

Astronomically speaking, the winter solstice is meant to mark the beginning of the winter season. In many countries, however, this date falls in the middle of winter.

Winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. After this, nights start becoming shorter while days become longer. During the solstice, the northern hemisphere receives only 8 hours and 46 minutes of daylight.

The winter solstice has a huge significance in many cultures, since it marks the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. Since ancient times, this day has been marked with rituals and festivities. In fact, ancient monuments like the Stonehenge are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice.

In the past, dependence on agriculture also played a role in the importance of winter solstice, since it was usually the last ‘feast’ before deep winter began.