NATIONAL DAYPOP CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Winter Begins/Winter Solstice

Every year on December 21, the sun bottoms out and winter officially clocks in. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere, carrying the best news of the season: from here, the daylight starts growing again. Bundle up, pour something warm, and celebrate the year turning the corner.

DEC21

Monday, December 21Every year on December 21

days to go

Roots: People have marked the solstice for thousands of years, tracking it at ancient sites like Stonehenge.
Also on Dec 21: Flashlight Day · Yule · Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day
Hashtag: #WinterBeginsWinterSolstice

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3 ways to celebrate

AT HOME

Watch the Sunset

Step outside and watch the sun drop on the shortest day of the year, in the earliest-sunset season of the calendar. Time how long the light lasts, then mark the date so you can compare it again in a month when the days have visibly stretched.

WITH FRIENDS

Host a Longest-Night Feast

Borrow a page from Dongzhi and Shab-e Yalda and throw a solstice dinner party. Serve warming comfort food like dumplings, stew, or hot pot, light every candle you own, and have each guest share one thing they are looking forward to as the days grow longer.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Light the Darkness Together

Join or organize a neighborhood bonfire, a candlelit walk, or a stargazing night on the longest evening of the year. Ancient peoples fought the darkness with fire and fellowship, and that recipe still works beautifully today.

Plan ahead

Winter Begins/Winter Solstice is observed on December 21 every year. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.

2026Mon, Dec 21this year

2027Tue, Dec 21

2028Thu, Dec 21

2029Fri, Dec 21

2030Sat, Dec 21

2031Sun, Dec 21

2032Tue, Dec 21

2033Wed, Dec 21

2034Thu, Dec 21

2035Fri, Dec 21

2036Sun, Dec 21

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