The 2023 winter solstice marks the day with the least sunlight and coincides with the Ursid meteor shower.

After weeks of dwindling daylight, Friday marks the longest night of the year and the day with the least light of the year. The event is known as Winter solstice as it marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

The event will also mark a turning point for longer daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere, a phenomenon that was linked to various cultural and folkloric beliefs in ancient times.

Here’s what you should know about the 2023 winter solstice and how it will be celebrated in different communities.

What is winter solstice and what happens during it?

The winter solstice in December occurs when the northern half of the Earth is tilted furthest away from the sun, making it the “astronomical” first day of winter.

The Northern Hemisphere has the fewest hours of sunshine, so the day of the year is the shortest and the night is the longest.

The length of daylight varies from country to country. In London, UK, the day is expected to last seven hours and 49 minutes, more than eight hours shorter than the longest day of the year.

The event will also coincide with the peak of the Ursid meteor shower – an annual phenomenon that occurs across the Northern Hemisphere as Earth passes through debris from Comet 8P/Tuttle.

Each day after the winter solstice gets longer in the Northern Hemisphere until the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, between June 20th and 22nd.

Solstice comes from a Latin word meaning “the sun stands still.”

When is the winter solstice?

This shortest day of the year will occur on December 22nd, while the exact timing of the solstice will be at 03:27 GMT – this is when the Earth’s axis is furthest from the sun.

This shift in axial tilts as the Earth orbits the Sun allows the world to experience different levels of sunlight on different days. Otherwise, the sun would be directly over the equator and would shine the same amount of light on Earth all year round.

Is it also the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere?

The Summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere occurs at the same time as the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.

The seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are reversed, so countries like Brazil and New Zealand will experience the longest day of the year.

The winter solstice can occur between December 20th and 23rd in the Northern Hemisphere, but often falls on December 21st or 22nd.

The last time it occurred was on December 23rd in 1903, the next time on that date will occur in 2303.

Three interesting facts about the winter solstice

• Although the solstice supposedly marks the astronomical beginning of winter, the winter season, or its meteorological first day, falls on a different date and is based on temperature records.
• If you stand outside at noon on December 22nd, you will cast the longest shadow of the entire year.
• At the time of the winter solstice, the sun appears directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, which is 23 degrees south of the equator.

What is the winter solstice celebrated for?

Several cultures celebrate the winter solstice in different ways, usually due to an almost supernatural or folkloric significance to the day in ancient times. Today we understand the event more scientifically, but people continue to maintain old traditions.

For ancient people, the gradual increase in daylight hours after the winter solstice marked a time of rebirth.

People in Denmark, Norway and Sweden hold a multi-day festival to celebrate Juul, or Yule, as ancient people welcomed the return of the sun god. Scandinavians burn a Christmas log to honor the god Thor, who was tasked with returning the warmth of the sun.

In Finnish myth, the dwindling daylight leading up to the winter solstice is caused by a powerful and evil witch who traps the sun and moon in a mountain.

For the people of Iran, the winter solstice or “Yalda festival” marks the day on which Mithra, an angel of light, is believed to have been born.

In China, the winter solstice is the “Dongzhi Festival,” when the darkness of winter begins to give way to light. Families eat special foods such as rice balls called Tang Yuan.

In the United Kingdom, people visit Stonehenge to catch the sunrise rays as they fall between the stones.