Winter Solstice 2024. Astronomical winter starts today
Today, December 21, is expected to be the shortest day of 2022, and the night around December 22 – the longest. Astronomical winter begins, related to the movement of the Earth around the Sun.
The winter solstice occurs at 11:21. On the date of the winter solstice, the duration of the day has the minimum value of the year, 8 hours and 50 minutes, and the duration of the night has the maximum value, 15 hours and 10 minutes (Chisinau).
The winter solstice is the event known among the people as the shortest day of the year. It is related to the apparent annual movement of the Sun on the celestial sphere, which is the consequence of the real movement of the Earth around the Sun, and is also called, in some areas of the country, the "winter solstice" or "midwinter".
The oldest written reference to a celebration marking the return of the Sun (solstice) was found in antiquity, in Mesopotamia. Over time, the winter solstice was perceived more as a battle between the forces of good and evil.
People believed that on the night of the winter solstice, the heavens open, but the same happens with the depths of the earth. On December 21, people would climb the mountain with lit torches to welcome the sunrise, then pray and have parties around the fire, a tradition that is still preserved in some villages in Romania.
Also, it is said that at the time of the solstice, it is not good to be alone, but you need to be with someone, so as not to feel alone the following year.
