The winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year, takes place this week
The winter solstice is almost here, with the UK to see its darkest day of the year this week. After this, the days start to get longer again, with more and more hours of daylight.
The date of the winter solstice changes every year, thought it always falls between December 20-23. This year, the solstice takes place on Saturday, December 21.
The solstice will occur at 9:21am GMT in the UK, and the sun will set at 3:53pm in London. It is the astronomical start of winter, although the meteorological winter begins a bit earlier, on December 1.
According to forecasts, the UK will not see a pre-7am sunrise until Thursday, February 20, 2025. This is the case for Ness Point, Lowestoft, the most eastern-part of the country.
Those in London can expect to wait a further two days – until February 22 – for the sun to rise at 7am, while it’ll be around March 3 for Edinburgh. Cardiff, forecasts add, is expected to see a 7am sunrise for the first time in months on February 28, while for Birmingham it’ll be February 26 – or thereabouts.
Winter solstice traditions and rituals have been celebrated by Pagans for thousands of years. Stonehenge hosts an annual event where attendees gather to watch the sunrise on the shortest day of the year.
Many Christmas traditions, including Yule logs, mistletoe and Christmas trees, originate from these Pagan winter solstice celebrations. The Druids, priests of the ancient Celts, used evergreen trees, holly and mistletoe as symbols of everlasting life during these rituals.
