Undoubtedly, each of us at least once was interested in the question of which Answer has long been known and does not require any evidence. This phenomenon in science is called the winter solstice. This is the time when the minimum is at noon.

Winter solstice occurs exclusively on planets

December 21 and sometimes December 22. Such a day is only five hours and another fifty-three minutes long, after which it gradually begins to grow.

The shortest day of the year was noticed a long time ago. It was on this day that the future harvest was judged: frost on the trees meant there would be a rich harvest. In Rus', on the day of the solstice, a rather interesting ritual was performed. The man who was responsible for striking the monastery clock came to bow to the king. He notified the bishop that from that moment the sun was turning to summer and, naturally, the day was increasing and the length of the night was shortening. For such good news, the king gave money.

When the shortest day of the year was celebrated by the ancient Slavs, they

celebrated the New Year according to pagan rites. The main attribute of the celebration was a ritual bonfire, which depicted the sun and invoked its light.

IN ancient China Residents believed that it was on the shortest day of the year that a new cycle began. Therefore, this time was considered the happiest, it definitely needed to be celebrated. Emperors traveled outside the city to conduct solemn and important rituals of sacrifice to Heaven, and simple people sacrificed to their ancestors.

Nowadays, some people also take the winter solstice seriously. On the shortest day of the year, it is advisable to limit yourself in communicating with unpleasant people and not engage in everyday burdensome matters. It is best to devote this day to entertainment, spend it with people dear to your heart in order to strengthen your relationships.

Solstice Day in winter is a natural New Year. The days before this period are the best for changing your destiny and rebirth. Our ancestors attached special importance to this time. It was believed that the three days before and after the solstice were a time charged with strong energy. It is these days that you need to free yourself from everything unnecessary, old, useless in life, character, your home and even in your soul. We need to put things in order, “clean up” and make room for new important things and achievements that will definitely happen in the New Year.

After reading the article, you will not only learn about which day is the shortest, but also what is important to do at this time to change your life.

Everything is very important on this day

honor the awakening of the sun and congratulate him on his new birth. It is impossible to find a more favorable period for making plans for the next year, making a wish and dreaming about a bright future. And thanks to the natural rhythms of Mother Nature, all this will acquire special power.

The main thing on this day is to understand what begins new round. This is an unusual day, and you cannot live it like everyone else. If you put a little more effort into it and allow your creativity to manifest itself, then boundless happiness and joy of life will certainly appear in your soul.

With the arrival of spring, it becomes noticeable that the sun rises higher and higher above the horizon at noon and later disappears behind it in the evening. Finally, at the beginning of summer, the luminary reaches its highest point- The summer solstice is coming. Date itself have a long day per year depends on the hemisphere and year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, if there are 365 days in a year, and on June 21, if there are 366. And in the Southern Hemisphere, leap year the longest day will be December 22, and in a normal year it will be December 21.

After the longest day comes the shortest night. According to old Slavic beliefs, it was a magical time: strength useful plants increased many times over, the bridegrooms were always shown to the girls who bewitched. Swimming before this day was strictly prohibited, as it was believed that in the water. On the summer solstice, the devils left the water until the beginning of August, so they swam and doused themselves with water all day.

When pagan traditions were supplanted by Christians, this holiday was called the day of John the Baptist. And since John baptized by immersion in water, it turned out to be the day of Ivan Kupala. Planted on the fertile soil of ancient beliefs, the holiday took root and has survived to this day like a dousing.

In the old calendar the day summer solstice and Midsummer's Day coincided, but according to the new style the holiday shifted to July 7.

Winter solstice

After the summer solstice the day begins. Gradually the Sun reaches its lowest point of rise. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year occurs in December on the 21st or 22nd, and in the Southern Hemisphere on June 20 or 21, depending on whether it is a leap year or not. After the longest night, the countdown begins - now the day will begin to increase until the summer solstice, and after it, it will decrease again to the winter one.

The winter solstice was celebrated in primitive communities, when before the long winter people slaughtered all the cattle they could not feed and had a feast. Later, this day received a different meaning - the awakening of life. The most famous solstice holiday is the medieval Yule among the Germanic peoples. On the night after which the sun begins to rise higher, fires were lit in the fields, crops and trees were blessed, and cider was brewed.

IN Greek mythology The ruler of the underworld, Hades, was allowed to visit Olympus only two days a year - on the summer and winter solstice.

Later, Yule merged with the celebration of Christmas, adding pagan traditions to Christian traditions - for example, kissing under the mistletoe.

This day is also called the winter solstice. The inhabitants of our planet observe this event once a year, when the Sun crosses the point that is furthest from the equator of the celestial sphere. This moment of transition is perfect for all kinds of rituals.

Some people call this day Natural New Year. The sun drops too low, and then astronomical winter begins. From this moment on, the nights become shorter and the days longer. Thus, another cycle of time begins.

Our ancestors, even in ancient times, considered this day suitable for carrying out various rituals, reports the rosregistr portal. Some are used even in our time by people who are fond of magic.

Our ancestors used to traditionally celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. The celebrations took place at night, before dawn.
At night a huge fire was lit, which was believed to help the heavenly body to be reborn again. In ancient times, oak was considered a cosmic tree, so a fire was made from its branches.

Occasionally they preferred to use pine. Special symbols were carved into the wood from the fire. In order to carry out a full-fledged ritual, candles were needed - thirteen red and green. Thus, trees were decorated with bread and buns, and tree trunks were watered with sweet water.

Previously, people believed that they needed to give gifts to the gods of the forest, then the harvest next year would be good.

If you are planning risky projects or changes in your work soon, you should definitely set aside time and conduct a meditation session, because meditation gives a lot of energy.

People who are interested in spiritual development can take the energy of the Sun. The day is perfect for wish fulfillment rituals. So, at twelve o’clock at night you need to think about your most cherished dream, it will definitely come true.

In addition, on December twenty-first, healings, rituals for wisdom and strength can be performed. Tarot cards very accurately show the result on this particular night.

The room where you plan to perform rituals should be decorated with flowers or dry branches. Thirteen candles are placed in the center of the altar. The air is permeated with various aromas. It could be pine or rosemary.

In order to perform the ritual, you need to take two sheets of paper. On one you need to write all the bad events from the past year that you would not want to repeat. This piece of paper needs to be burned and at this moment tell that you are letting go of the past and do not hold a grudge against anyone.

On the second sheet you need to write what you would like to achieve next year. As sub-items under wishes, you need to indicate what needs to be done to make the wish come true.

This sheet should be kept where no one will find it. This way, you can re-read it when necessary, add new subparagraphs and cross out those that have already been made.

Note that the sun does not have the same influence on people as the moon. One can only note the lack of sunlight for the human body.

December 21 (date indicated for 2016) is the winter solstice. Solstice is one of two days a year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in the year - winter and summer. Solstice is one of two days a year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in the year - winter and summer. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun rises to its lowest height above the horizon.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, when the shortest day and longest night occur. The moment of the solstice shifts every year, as the duration solar year does not coincide with calendar time.

In 2016, the winter solstice will occur on December 21 at 13.45 Moscow time

After the longest night of the year, which will last about 17 hours, real astronomical winter will begin. The sun will be at its lowest point Southern Hemisphere the sky, that is, moving along the ecliptic, will reach its lowest declination. The length of the day at the latitude of Moscow will be 7 hours. The sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic. This means that after crossing the celestial equator, the luminary will begin its path to the spring equinox.

During the winter solstice, the sun does not rise above a latitude of 66.5 degrees - only twilight at these latitudes indicates that it is somewhere below the horizon. At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but also twilight, and the location of the star can only be determined by the constellations. On December 21, the sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic, beginning its journey towards the spring equinox, when it crosses the celestial equator.

Winter Solstice Day among the Ancient Slavs

The winter solstice has been observed since ancient times. Thus, in Russian folklore there is a proverb dedicated to this day: the sun is for summer, winter is for frost. Now the day will gradually increase, and the night will decrease. The winter solstice was used to judge the future harvest: frost on the trees meant a rich grain harvest.

In the 16th century in Rus', an interesting ritual was associated with the winter solstice. The bell ringer of the Moscow Cathedral, who was responsible for striking the clock, came to bow to the Tsar. He reported that from now on the sun has turned to summer, the day is increasing, and the night is shortening. For this good news, the king rewarded the headman with money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on the day of the winter solstice; it was associated with the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the festival was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, was supposed to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's pie - loaf - was also shaped like the sun.

The day of pagan veneration of Karachun (the second name of Chernobog) falls on the day of the winter solstice (celebrated depending on the year from December 19 to 22) - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun, the deity of death, the underground god who commands frost, takes his power. evil spirit. The ancient Slavs believed that he commands winter and frost and shortens the daylight hours.

The servants of the formidable Karachun are connecting rod bears in which snowstorms turn, and blizzard wolves. It was believed that, due to the bear's will, the cold winter continues: if the bear turns on the other side in its den, it means that the winter has exactly half the way to go until spring. Hence the saying: “At Solstice, the bear in its den turns from one side to the other.” The people still use the concept of “karachun” in the sense of death. They say, for example: “karachun has come for him”, “wait for karachun”, “ask karachun”, “enough karachun”. On the other hand, the word “karachit” can have the following meanings: backing away, crawling, “hunched” - writhed, cramped. Perhaps Karachun was called that precisely because he seemed to force daytime go to reverse side, backing away, crawling, yielding to the night.

Gradually, in the popular consciousness, Karachun became close to Frost, who binds the earth with cold, as if plunging it into a mortal sleep. This is a more harmless image than the stern Karachun. Frost is simply the lord of winter cold.

Winter Solstice Day among Other Nations

In Europe, these days began a 12-day cycle of pagan festivals dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and renewal of nature.

On the day of the winter solstice in Scotland there was a custom to launch the sun wheel - “solstice”. The barrel was coated with burning resin and sent down the street. The wheel is a symbol of the sun, the spokes of the wheel resembled rays, the rotation of the spokes during movement made the wheel alive and similar to a luminary.

The winter solstice was determined earlier than all other seasons in China (in Chinese calendar 24 seasons). In ancient China it was believed that from this time the male force of nature rises and a new cycle begins. The winter solstice was considered a happy day worthy of celebration. On this day, everyone - from the emperor to the commoner - went on vacation.

The army was put into a state of waiting for orders, border fortresses and trading shops were closed, people went to visit each other, gave each other gifts.

The Chinese made sacrifices to the God of Heaven and their ancestors, and also ate porridge of beans and glutinous rice to protect themselves from evil spirits and diseases. To this day, the winter solstice is considered one of the traditional Chinese holidays.

In India, the day of the winter solstice - Sankranti - is celebrated in Hindu and Sikh communities, where on the night before the celebration bonfires are lit, the heat of which symbolizes the warmth of the sun, which begins to warm the earth after the winter cold.

Russian folk calendar for December 21 (December 8, old style) - Anfisa Needlewoman

On this day they commemorate Saint Anfisa of Rome, who suffered for Christian faith in the 5th century. Anfisa was the wife of a Roman dignitary and professed Christianity (according to legend, she was baptized by Saint Ambrose of Milan, whose memory is celebrated the day before). One day, the mayor's wife invited her to accept Arian baptism (Arian teaching denied the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ). Anfisa refused and, following the woman’s slander, was burned at the stake.

After Anfisa, all girls in Rus' were supposed to do handicrafts: spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidering. It was advisable to do this alone, and if it was not possible or you did not want to be alone, special rituals against damage were performed.

A girl sews for Anfisa, but an extra eye while sewing is an evil eye, our ancestors said and advised young needlewomen to wrap a silk thread around their wrist so as not to prick their fingers with a needle. The same ritual protected against yawning and hiccups.

The embroidery itself, in which various kinds of symbols were often encrypted, also had magical powers. Thus, diamonds on towels signified fertility; round rosettes and cross-shaped figures on clothing protected its owner from misfortune. IN traditional patterns embroidery there are also images of the sun, trees, birds, personifying vitality nature. Our ancestors believed in their power, believing that they would bring prosperity and prosperity to the house.

The Russian folk calendar will accept December 22 (December 9, old style) - Anna Zimnyaya. Anna Dark. Conception of Saint Anne.

The Church celebrates not only birth, but also conception. With the Feast of the Conception of Anna, winter begins: autumn ends, winter begins. The beginning of a real harsh winter. In the meantime (lace) on the trees for the Conception of Anna for the harvest. If the snow falls right up to the fence, it’s a bad summer, but if there’s a gap, it’s a fruitful one. December 22 is the shortest day of the year, the solstice day.

On the Conception of Anna, pregnant women must strictly fast (on other days, pregnant women are exempt from fasting), avoid any quarrels and troubles, and avoid being seen by the crippled and disabled; You must not light a fire, knit, embroider or take on any work, so as not to accidentally harm the unborn child. People knowledgeable in these matters claim that the fire kindled on this day can leave a red mark on the child’s body, tangled threads twist his umbilical cord, and the poor, ugly, seen by his mother, can pass on their injuries to the child. The wolves come together at Conception, and after Epiphany they scatter.

The memory of Saint Anna, the parent of Mary, the future Mother of God, is celebrated twice a year: on August 7, a service is held in churches for the assumption of Anna, her death. December 22 is the day of the winter equinox, in the south of Russia it is considered the beginning of winter. A change in the weather is also noticeable: “Sun for summer, winter for frost.” On this morning, services in churches are held more solemnly than on ordinary days, for December 22 is the day “when the Most Holy Theotokos was conceived.”

Equinox and solstice days 2017

• the vernal equinox- March 2010:29
• summer solstice - June 21 04:24
• autumnal equinox - September 22 20:02
• winter solstice - December 21 16:28

Equinox and solstice days 2018

• vernal equinox - March 20 16:15
• summer solstice - June 21 10:07
• autumnal equinox - September 23 01:54
• winter solstice - December 21 22:23

Equinox and solstice days 2019

• autumnal equinox - September 23 07:50
• winter solstice - December 22 04:19
• vernal equinox - March 20 21:58
• summer solstice - June 21 15:54

Equinox and solstice days 2020

• vernal equinox - March 20 03:50
• summer solstice - June 20 21:44
• autumnal equinox - September 22 13:31

There are two solstices in the year - winter and summer; on these days the height of the luminary above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum.

The sun, on the day of the winter solstice, occupies its lowest position above the horizon, in contrast to the summer solstice, when it is at its maximum.

This is the shortest daylight of the year - it will last just under seven hours, and the night is the longest and will last as much as 17 hours. After the winter solstice, the day will slowly but surely increase, and the night will decrease.

Winter solstice

The winter solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs on December 21 or 22 - astronomers consider this day the beginning of astronomical winter, from which everyone slowly but surely approaches summer.

The length of the solar year does not coincide with calendar time, since the moment of the solstice shifts annually.

Since prehistoric times, the winter solstice has been celebrated as an extremely important event - in many cultures, on this day they celebrated the birth of the Sun and the beginning of a new year.

© photo: Sputnik / Igor Podgornyi

The winter solstice, like the days of the summer solstice, spring and autumn equinox, is considered an important day in astrology - the Earth will come as close as possible to the Sun, which will also be located in southern point ecliptic (the imaginary line along which the Sun moves among the stars throughout the year).

For ancient people, who were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding, and naturally were completely dependent on nature, the winter revival of the sun was a very important event.

Since ancient times, people have studied natural cycles and, realizing that it is impossible to change them, from year to year they learned to live in accordance with the natural cycle in order to achieve harmony.

Each nation, as is known, compiled its own calendar, in which they celebrated important events. Since important rituals and ceremonies were performed on these days, barriers between the world of people and spirits were erased, which means it became possible to communicate with the other world.

© photo: Sputnik / Alexander Vilf

In close contact with nature, ancient people were convinced that on the day of the winter solstice many things could be accomplished. cherished desires, radically change fate, and even enlist the support of higher powers.

The holiday, according to tradition, began to be celebrated at night, before sunrise.

In different countries

Names of the holiday different nations, like the celebration traditions, were somewhat different. In pagan Europe, among the Germanic peoples, the winter solstice was called Yule - the holiday was a symbol of the sacrament of renewal of nature and the beginning of a new life.

On the night of the Yule holiday, as was believed in ancient times, all worlds converge in Midgard (the world inhabited by people), gods and goddesses descend to Earth, and trolls and elves talk with people.

Communicating with the Other World, people leave their bodies and temporarily join the riders Wild Hunt or become werewolves (werewolves) or other spirits.

On the holiday, the Celts beautifully decorated their homes with fir branches, which were hung above the main entrance, near the interior partitions, in the windows and by the fireplace. On this day, a ritual fire was lit from oak logs, as if helping the birth of a new sun. And in the center of the house they placed something round, symbolizing the luminary.

The birth of the sun god Mithras was celebrated on the winter solstice in Persia. According to tradition, he defeated winter and cleared the way for the coming spring.

In ancient China, it was believed that the male power of nature grew stronger from this period and gave rise to a new cycle. The winter solstice was considered a happy, successful day, which was celebrated with dignity.

© AFP / TT NEWS AGENCY / MATS ASTRAND

On the day of the winter solstice, everyone, from the commoner to the emperor, relaxed and had fun, set large tables laden with various dishes, went to visit and gave each other gifts.

On this special day, an important role was assigned to sacrifices to the ancestors and the god of Heaven, and appropriate ceremonies and rituals were performed in order to protect oneself from diseases and evil spirits. Winter Solstice Day is one of the traditional Chinese holidays to this day.

Hindus call the winter solstice Sankranti. The holiday was celebrated the night before in the Sikh and Hindu communities - bonfires were lit, the flames of which resembled the rays of the Sun that warm the earth after a cold winter.

The tradition of launching a burning wheel, symbolizing the solstice, existed in Scotland. To do this, the barrel was generously smeared with resin, set on fire and sent down a slide, the rotating movements of which resembled a fiery luminary.

Kolyada

Among the ancient Slavs, on December 21, the day of the winter solstice, Kolyaden began - the first month of winter and the new year. On the same day they celebrated the Christmas of Kolyada, the incarnation of one of the main Slavic gods Dazhdbog (Dazhbog, Dazhbog), who embodied the Sun.

The Slavs celebrated Christmastide - Christmas and New Year, filled with fun, delicious food and magical rituals, for 21 days, thus trying to while away the cold, dark winter.

For Christmastide we prepared kolivo - porridge with honey and raisins, and socheviki - sweet pies with cottage cheese and jam. On the streets they rolled burning wheels and burned bonfires to help the emerging winter sun, and the huts were decorated with dolls of the god Veles (the Slavic prototype of the modern Father Frost) and the Snow Maiden.

Carolers - young boys and girls, went from house to house and sang carols (ritual songs with wishes for well-being) and received food as a reward.

© photo: Sputnik / Igor Ageenko

The priests, on the first midnight of Kolyaden, sacrificed a duck, a pig and other animals to Kolyaden - all of this was then present as a treat on the Christmas tables.

As a gift to the owners of the forest, people hung bread on trees and poured sweet drinks on them - people believed that such actions would help them get a good harvest.

Worn on Christmastide new clothes and put on the table the best treat for the family gathered together. On this day they baked a cake that resembled the same Sun in shape. People believed that how you celebrated the New Year was how you would spend it. People glorified the supreme deity as best they could - they sang and danced a lot.

The tradition of giving gifts to loved ones was special, as they believed that it was impossible to skimp on gifts in order to New Year bestowed with generosity.

Traditions and rituals

In the traditions of different peoples, the celebration of the winter solstice has much in common - the main place has always been occupied by the customs of commemoration, attempts to win the favor of the forces that visited the world on the darkest night.

Many ancient rituals associated with the winter solstice have survived to this day. Thus, the New Year tree became the “heir” to the main attribute of Yule - a decorated tree that symbolized life.

The tradition of giving gifts, carols and treats on holy days reflect the ceremonies of sacrifice, and bonfires, which were intended to both protect and help in communication with spirits and mysterious forces, represent New Year's lights.

The material was prepared based on open sources