Winter solstice: how long will the day and night last in Ukraine

The winter solstice occurs at the time when the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis away from the Sun reaches its maximum value. Since ancient times, the solstice has been considered a mystical phenomenon, perceived as a moment of rebirth, so various holidays, rituals, and celebrations were organized at this time.

Simply put, the winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Read the details about this astronomical phenomenon and how long the day and night will last in Ukraine in the OBOZ.UA article.

When is the winter solstice

The winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 (22 - before the start of the leap year) in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on June 20 or 21.

At this time, the Sun in its apparent motion moves away from the celestial equator the most and reaches the greatest declination - north or south.

These moments are shifted relative to the beginning of the calendar day because the period between two passages of the Sun through the same point does not coincide with the duration of the conventional calendar year.

Astronomers say that in a simple year, the solstice occurs 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds later than in the previous year. In a leap year, the difference is more noticeable - as much as 18 hours 11 minutes 14 seconds earlier. This explains the fact that the solstice days vary.

The winter solstice is considered the beginning of astronomical winter.

On December 22, 2023, the sun will rise at 07:56 Kyiv time and set at 15:56.

Traditions and beliefs

The winter solstice has long played an important role, as hunger was common during the cold season, and communities began preparing for hard, harsh winters in the summer.

The solstice was a turning point in the movement of the Sun, so it gave rise to the concept of the rebirth of the gods. Many cultures based their cyclical calendars on the winter solstice.

The ancient Romans celebrated the day of the invincible sun during this period, Germanic peoples - Yule, Slavs - Koliada.

Earlier OBOZ.UA told about the traditions of celebrating the summer solstice.

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