The clocks have gone back, the nights have drawn in and now the shortest, darkest day of the year is upon us. The winter solstice – also known as the hibernal solstice – is the day when countries in the northern hemisphere experience the shortest day and the longest night of the whole year. This year, the sun is due to set at 15.53 in London on 21 December, making the day just seven hours long. 

While some people find the extra hours of darkness challenging, there’s plenty of sparkle to be found in this seasonal equinox if you know where to look. 

In fact, the world has been marking the winter solstice (or midwinter) for millennia. Across the world, people celebrate holidays and festivals at both the summer and winter solstices, and the December date holds a special place in many of the seasonal traditions we cherish today. If you decorate your house with glossy green foliage at Christmas, put a wreath on your door or get excited about mistletoe, you’re upholding ancient winter solstice traditions.

There’s also plenty of brightness to be found in the darkness. The winter solstice brings about long nights, but that also means it sets in motion one of the earliest and brightest sunsets of the year, as well as one of the longest full moons. It’s also the start of the astronomical winter, during which the night sky is filled with stars that will shine bright throughout the long nights.

It’s also a time to hunker down and take comfort in rituals and glimmers that can bring deep joy. Maybe it’s time to rethink our assumptions of the so-called bleak midwinter after all.  

This year, the winter solstice takes place on Saturday 21 December 2024. The moment of the solstice – when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky – will be at 09.21, but people will mark the day as a whole, celebrating the promise of longer days to come. 

The further north you live, the shorter the daylight hours will be. So, for those living in John O’Groats – the northernmost point of mainland Great Britain – the sun will set even earlier, at 3.18 pm. And spare a thought for the people living in Bodø, Norway, who typically see just 50 minutes of sunshine on the winter solstice.  

It’s all down to the way the Earth moves around the sun. As the Earth is tilted on its axis, during winter in the northern hemisphere, the Earth’s North Pole points away from the sun.

On 21 December, the Earth is at its maximum tilt away from the sun, which means the sun is at its lowest in the sky, and there is less daylight.   

December had its full moon, also known as the cold moon, frost moon or winter moon (take your pick), on Sunday 15 December – it was the last full moon before the winter solstice.

While the full moon and the winter solstice don’t coincide, the solstice does have an impact on how long the moon can be seen in the sky. According to the clever folks at Nasa, the cold moon is the longest full moon of the year. This is because the moon appears higher in the sky than the sun, so it’s visible for longer at this time. 

If you’ve ever wanted to take up stargazing, the winter solstice is one of the best times of the year to get started. For astronomers, the winter solstice marks the beginning of the astronomical winter, which runs from the winter solstice to the following year’s spring equinox (20 March 2025). The longer nights will give you more time to pick out the stars.

Not a night owl? The winter solstice also means you can also look forward to a beautiful early sunset. 

For millennia, humans have performed rituals and celebrations across the world to mark the winter solstice. Some of these traditions are still going strong today and have even seeped into other holidays we celebrate now – like Christmas.

Many people still celebrate the darkest day of the year. In many cultures and religions, it’s seen as a time of rebirth and marks the promise of lighter, longer days to come, with the days extending daily from this point.

In the UK, you’ll probably be familiar with the sight of pagans and druids gathering at Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, where it’s believed the stones were strategically placed to frame the sunset on the winter solstice. You can even watch a live stream of the event.

Other prehistoric UK sites, such as Maeshowe in Orkney, are believed to have been built specifically to frame the sun at the winter solstice. In the weeks leading up to the winter solstice, the last rays of the setting sun shine through Maeshowe’s entrance passage into a dark chamber; a phenomenon known as the ‘winter alignment’. 

There are other ways to lean into the joy and comfort of the season, today and all the other days of winter. 

1. Take the opportunity to slow down

“Long dark days are celebrated in Nordic countries, and some of the happiest people on the planet live in Scandinavia,” says Florence Achery, founder of yoga and wellness retreat Yoga Retreats & More. “We have all heard about hygge and the feelings of cosiness it invokes. Darker days are a gift from Mother Earth to snuggle up indoors and look after yourself; they’re offering you permission to slow down. Try creating a comfortable nook and catch up on your reading.”

2. Light a favourite candle 

Stop saving those candles for best, and start using them to create a 

“The winter solstice invites us to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate the promise of brighter days ahead,” says Tori Fallesen, founder of candle company Old Green. “Traditional rituals such as lighting candles and bringing natural elements indoors are beautiful ways to find comfort and joy during this time. Lighting a candle scented with the essence of the season (think fir, clove, orange)  can transform the solstice into a meaningful ritual, whether for setting intentions, meditation or simply creating a cosy atmosphere that celebrates the season’s magic.”

3. Indulge in some festive decluttering 

We’re not just talking about listing some clothes on Vinted and going to the charity shop (although these are both great sustainable ways to make space for new gifts), but also taking some time for mental decluttering, too. 

“The darkest time of year makes us want to spend more time indoors and it’s a good time to be introspective,” notes Achery. “Alongside sorting through paperwork, cupboards, your wardrobe and so on, it’s the perfect time to look back on the last 12 months. Make a list of all the big and small wins, in your relationships, at work, at home, and in your overall wellbeing. The smallest step in the right direction is to be celebrated.”

Believe it or not, many of the Christmas traditions we love and cherish today have their beginnings in ancient winter solstice celebrations.

The 12-day pagan holiday of Yule was centred around the winter solstice. It was celebrated by cutting mistletoe, bringing wreaths of winter greenery into the home and lighting a yule log to banish away the darkness. Sound familiar?

Many of these traditions were then absorbed into Christmas celebrations with the rise of Christianity. Think about that when you’re chomping down on your chocolate log!  

And finally, it can be comforting to remember that in nature, everything is cyclical. “During winter, the earth is also going through a period of introspection,” says Achery. “Trees are bare, some plants seemingly die down, some animals hibernate and come out the other end brighter, stronger and more beautiful. This is a pattern we can learn from and also follow.”

Images: Getty