Winter Solstice 2024: What It Means and How It’s Celebrated

The winter solstice for 2024 will occur on Saturday, December 21, at exactly 9:20 and 30 seconds Paris time, marking the official beginning of winter from an astronomical perspective. This event is significant as it represents the shortest day of the year and the longest night, due to the Earth‘s axis being tilted away from the Sun to its maximum extent.

This astronomical event signifies the point when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. Following the winter solstice, the days will gradually lengthen, and the amount of daylight will increase. By the end of the year, an additional minute of daylight will be regained each day.

The winter solstice is celebrated in various cultures around the world. For example, in Iran, the night of the winter solstice is known as “Yalda night” or “Shabe Chelleh,” where families gather to eat, drink, and recite poetry. In Albania, traditional festivities celebrate the return of the Sun and the lengthening of days.

In the United States, several nature centers and museums are hosting winter solstice celebrations. The Buttonwood Nature Center, for instance, will host its fourth annual Winter Solstice Celebration on December 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. Similarly, The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, will hold a winter solstice event on December 21 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., offering activities suitable for families and children.

The date of the winter solstice can vary slightly from year to year, falling on December 21, 22, or 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. This variation is due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit and the tilt of its axis. The Institut de mécanique céleste et de calcul des éphémérides at the Paris Observatory provides detailed calendars listing the winter solstices over centuries.