Winter Solstice 2021: Tuesday, December 21 is a day of great events, as it marks the winter solstice. Also known as December solstice, hiemal solstice, or winter solstice, the event occurs when one of the Earth’s poles is tilted at its maximum distance from the sun. Apparently this causes the day to have the shortest daylight period due to the absence of the sun, with the longest night of the year. This day is celebrated once a year on December 21 or 22, usually in countries that witness the winter season such as UK, US, India, Russia, China, and Canada.
The precise moment of the winter solstice — when Earth’s north pole points straight away from the sun and the sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn, at about 23.4 degrees south latitude — occurs at 9:28 PM IST. The winter solstice sunrise will be at 7:10 am and sunset at 5:29 pm, according to drikpanchang.
As we celebrate the winter solstice on December 21, here are a few facts you should know:
The winter solstice is popularly said to mark the “birth of the sun,” as for the hemisphere away from the star, the days after today get longer, while the nights get shorter.
For the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is away from the Sun, while it marks the beginning of Astronomical Summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
The word ‘solstitium’ is derived from the Latin scientific term ‘solstitium’. While ‘sol’ stands for sun, the past participle of ‘sistere’ means ‘to rise’. Therefore, the loose translation of solstice means ‘still sun’.
From time immemorial, there are various traditions and rituals associated with the day. In Iran, people celebrate the festival of Yalda as it marked the birth of Mithra, the ancient sun god, in pre-Islamic times.
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