For pagans, the winter solstice is a very significant day, with many gathering to Stonehenge to commemorate it.
Today is the shortest day of the year, which means that mornings and evenings will gradually get lighter once more.
For pagans, the winter solstice is a very significant day, with many gathering to Stonehenge to commemorate it.
The stones are considered to have been strategically positioned to frame the sunset on the shortest day of the year.
What is the meaning of the winter solstice?
While the solstice marks the beginning of the astronomical winter season, it is also known as midwinter since the days become longer after it passes and the countdown to spring starts.
This year's astronomical winter season will remain until Sunday, March 20, 2022, the date of the Northern Hemisphere's vernal equinox.
Winter begins on December 1st every year, according to the meteorological definition, which divides the year into four seasons of three complete months each based on the Gregorian calendar.
The summer solstice, which occurs around June 20 and has been associated with Stonehenge and paganism, is the astronomical calendar's longest day and the start of summer.
Spring and fall begin on the equinoxes in March and September, respectively. These are the two times of the year when the equator is the closest section of the Earth to the sun, resulting in 12 hours of daylight for the whole planet.
What exactly is the significance of the winter solstice?
The winter solstice has been connected with rites and festivities since the dawn of humanity, with modern-day Christmas customs originating as astronomical observances.
The roots of Christmas trees and wreaths, for example, may be traced back to the 12-day pagan feast of "Yule," which celebrated the solstice.
The early Germanic peoples of Northern Europe celebrated the event to commemorate the return of the sun, heralding the arrival of better times.
Celtic druids would celebrate the winter solstice by cutting mistletoe and lighting a "yule log," which was said to ward off bad spirits.
Saturnalia (in honor of the deity Saturn) was a Roman holiday that began on December 17 and lasted for a week, during which time people partied and defied social norms.
While many of the customs associated with the time period were absorbed into Christmas during the Christianization of the world, the year's shortest day still maintains importance for many people.
In periods when Covid is not there, a yearly lottery is performed in Ireland to pick roughly 120 persons to be present at Newgrange, a massive 5,000-year-old burial mound.
The winter solstice dawn, which floods the immense room with light and unveils the prehistoric art within, is witnessed by the lucky few (the event allegedly draws more than 30,000 applicants each year).
On the solstice, why do people visit Stonehenge?
The solstice is a particularly important time of year for pagans, and Stonehenge has traditionally been a vital gathering site for them.
Although Stonehenge is better connected with the summer solstice, it is also visited during the winter solstice.
Thousands of people frequently assemble to commemorate the occasion.
Between 3,000 and 1,600 BC, the monument was built. Its original function has not changed.
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