Winter Solstice 2021: Date, Timings And Everything About The Shortest Day of The Year

Winter Solstice means the shortest day and longest night of the year which mainly took place in the Northern Hemisphere between 19 December and 23 December. This year the country has experienced the Winter Solstice on Tuesday 21 December.

Winter Solstice is a phenomenon in which the Sun moves the shortest way through the sky which results in ending the daylight in less period of time and provides more night time. The term 'solstice' comes from 'solstitium' which is a Latin word meaning standing still of the sun.

Winter Solstice 2021 Date and Timings:

The total time duration of Winter Solstice this year was 10 hours 19 minutes and 11 seconds.

The winter solstice occurred in India at 9:28 pm on Tuesday 21 December.

The Sunrise was recorded at morning 07:00 am on Tuesday 21 December.

And the Sunset has witnessed at evening 5:29 pm on Tuesday 21 December.

On the day of Winter Solstice, people witnessed a very short period of daylight and experience the longest darkness. The solstice usually comes two times a year once in the Northern Hemisphere and one more time in Southern Hemisphere.

Winter Solstice is also known with other names in different parts of the world such as Brumal solstice and hibernal solstice. The solstice during the winter season happens when either of the Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun.

As the Sun is at its lowest regular maximum altitude, the solstice happens with this condition and either of the Earth's poles witnesses twilight continuously. The solstice doesn't continue for the whole day but only for a few minutes though the whole day on which it arrives is referred to as solstice.

History and Significance of Winter Solstice:

The solstice was observed as a special occasion of the annual cycle during the Neolithic period marking the traditional and cultural values at that time. The astrological events associated with this day refer to auspicious timings for activities such as the sowing of crops, animals mating and others.

The Winter Solstice is regarded as Tropical Uttarayana as per the Hindu Mythology. Fresh crops are worshipped with the beginning of Sideral uttarayana that starts with Makar Sankranti which is celebrated by India to spot the ending of the particular month with the shortest day.

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