Too many people in the US Winter came a little early.. A few snowfalls and cold temperatures have graced the landscape, although winter is not officially declared until December 21, when the winter solstice occurs. So get ready, because the world’s shortest day is fast approaching.
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice has different meanings, here you have them all. The most common definition you are probably familiar with is that it refers to the shortest day and longest night of the year on Earth. These times vary depending on where you are in the world, but the further north you live, the less sunlight you get. In the tropics, they benefit from about 12 hours of sunlight. In Sweden it’s about six o’clock. There are none on Spitsbergen.
The reason lies in the second definition of the winter solstice: during this period, the North Pole is as tilted as possible in relation to the sun. That’s why The Farmer’s AlmanacThe time of maximum physical tilt of Earth’s axis is December 21st at 10:03 AM ET. After this point, the process begins to reverse until it is the South Pole’s turn. during the summer solstice. At this time, the North Pole will be most tilted towards the Sun, giving us the longest day and shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
How much sun do we get?
This varies by location. The southern United States will see the most sunshine, while Florida will enjoy just over 10 hours during the winter solstice. For the Midwest and Great Lakes, the duration is about nine hours. The Pacific Northwest can expect a wait of just under nine hours. Southern Alaska takes about six hours and Northern Alaska about three hours.
If you want to see how things are going in your area, you have the time and date Sunrise and sunset tools You can use Enter your zip code in the search field and you can see sunrise and sunset times.
The town of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, will fare worse than most of the United States: there will be no sun. The sun doesn’t rise again there until January 22. Let’s hope those who live there have packed their bags. Vitamin D supplements.
The difference between the solstice and the equinox.
The autumnal equinox had now arrived a few months agoMaybe you are curious about the differences. A solstice occurs when the Earth’s poles are furthest from the sun in a year, that is, one orbit around the sun. The equinox occurs halfway through each solstice. The autumnal equinox occurs in September, between the summer and winter solstice. vernal equinox It takes place in March between winter and summer.
During the equinox, the poles tilt slightly and the days are as uniform as possible. This also has other interesting side effects: the sun points directly toward the equator during the equinox, and the sun rises and sets directly in the east and west, respectively.
People use the solstices and equinoxes to mark the changes of the seasons. There are two equinoxes and two solstices that mark the beginning and end of the four seasons on Earth.
We celebrate the winter solstice.
Although the solstice occurs just before the holidays, winter solstice celebrations have been around much longer and some winter solstice traditions have become Christmas traditions as well. One of the most historically known celebrations of the winter solstice is Christmas, a winter festival It originated thousands of years ago in the Old Norse. It was widely celebrated in Europe and included bonfires and large parties. Christmas celebrations also include decorating with evergreen tree decorations such as holly and ivy.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Christmas adopted many of these traditions centuries ago, merging the two traditions, so to speak, into one holiday. The terms Christmas and Christmas are now used interchangeably in many cultures.
So if you want to celebrate the winter solstice, do everything you would normally do during the holidays. Burning a Christmas log, decorating a tree, hosting a large family celebration, and hanging mistletoe and wreaths are all suggestions for traditional winter solstice celebrations.