Amid the whirl of the holiday season, many are vaguely aware of the approach of the winter solstice, but how much do you really know about it?
Whether you're a fan of winter or just wish it would go away, here are 10 things to note — or even celebrate — about the solstice, courtesy of Mental Fo
1. It happens on Dec. 21 (today!) this year
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The date of the winter solstice varies from year to year, and can fall anywhere between Dec. 20 and Dec. 23, with the 21st or 22nd being the most common dates. The reason for this is because the tropical year — the time it takes for the sun to return to the same spot relative to Earth — is different from the calendar year. The next solstice occurring on Dec. 20 will not happen until 2080, and the next Dec. 23 solstice will not occur until 2303.
2. It happens at a specific, brief moment
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Not only does the solstice occur on a specific day, but it also occurs at a specific time of day, corresponding to the instant the North Pole is aimed furthest away from the sun on the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. This is also the time when the sun shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. In 2017, this moment occurs at 4:28 p.m. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). For those of us on Eastern Standard Time, the solstice will occur at 11:28 a.m. on Dec. 21. And regardless of where you live, the solstice happens at the same moment for everyone on the planet (you can check what time it will occur for you here ).
3. It marks the longest night and shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere
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As most are keenly aware, daylight hours grow shorter and shorter as the solstice approaches, and begin to slowly lengthen afterward. It's no wonder that the day of the solstice is referred to in some cultures as the "shortest day" or "extreme of winter." New York City will experience 9 hours and 15 minutes of sunlight, compared to 15 hours and 5 minutes on the summer solstice. Helsinki, Finland, will get 5 hours and 49 minutes of light. Barrow, Alaska, will not have a sunrise at all (and hasn't since mid-November; its next sunrise will be on Jan. 22), while the North Pole has had no sunrise since October. The South Pole, though, will be basking in the glow of the midnight sun, which won't set until March.
4. Ancient cultures viewed the winter solstice as a time of death and rebirth
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The seeming death of the light and very real threat of starvation over the winter months would have weighed heavily on early societies, who held varied solstice celebrations and rites meant to herald the return of the Sun and hope for new life. Scandinavian and Germanic pagans lit fires and may have burned Yule logs as a symbolic means of welcoming back the light. Cattle and other animals were slaughtered around midwinter, followed by feasting on what was the last fresh meat for several months. The modern Druidic celebration Alban Arthan reveres the death of the Old Sun and birth of the New Sun.
5. The day marks the discovery of new and strange worlds
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The Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth on Dec. 21, 1620, to found a society that would allow them to worship freely. On the same day in 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium, ushering in an atomic age. And on Dec. 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 spacecraft launched, becoming the first manned moon mission.
Curious about the next five? Check them out at Mental Floss.