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, and 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.
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. The date of the longest day of the year varies by hemisphere and year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, if there are 365 days in the year, and on June 21, if there are 366. And in Southern Hemisphere in a 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 girls who bewitched were certainly shown grooms. 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 Christian ones, this holiday was named 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 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.
Yule later merged with the celebration of Christmas, adding to Christian traditions pagan - for example, kissing under the mistletoe.
The winter solstice is the most important astronomical event in December, which falls on the 21st and will reach its peak at 16:28 Moscow time.
"Belly" to the Sun
What is the astronomical meaning of this phenomenon? December 21 marks the moment of the maximum possible angle of inclination of the Earth relative to the Sun. This angle is 23°26. The Earth seems to be turned with its “belly” towards the Sun, and with its head (north pole) looking in the other direction, which is why the rays of the star hit the surface casually.
Each of us has noticed that in winter the sun never rises high. So, on December 21, 2017 it will be as low as possible above the horizon. Because of this, the day will be the shortest (in Moscow - only seven hours), and the night will be the longest of the year.
At some point, the Earth will cross an imaginary line, after which each subsequent day will give us a little more light, and by the New Year, the length of daylight will increase by almost eight minutes.
The real astronomical winter comes just after winter solstice. According to experts, in the northern hemisphere it marks the peak of winter, while in the southern hemisphere it marks the equator of summer, with the winter solstice there on June 20th.
The date of the winter solstice almost never changes. The exception is leap years: then what is happening shifts to December 22 (June 21 - for the south). Other important dates, similar to this one, are the summer solstice, spring and autumn equinoxes.
From the history of the issue
It turns out that the day of the winter solstice was set more than two thousand years ago. Back in 45 BC. e. Emperor Julius Caesar in his calendar officially determined the date of the winter solstice for Europe - December 25.
But since the calendar year (365.2500 days) and the tropical year (~365.2421897 days) are not equivalent, every 400 years the actual astronomical solstice shifted by about three days back. In the 16th century, the phenomenon occurred on December 12th.
In 1582 the Pope Gregory XIII decided to restore exact correspondence between the seasons and civil year. Guided by the provisions of the Council of Nicaea in 325, he annulled the ten-day error accumulated from the 4th to the 16th centuries. True, he did not take into account the three days that ran between the 1st and 4th centuries. This calendar adjustment pushed the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere to around December 22nd.
Still in Gregorian calendar The solstice fluctuates by one or two days. In the future, there may be an additional shift of one day every 3000 years.
Scientists believe that solstices have been special moments in the annual cycle since Neolithic times. Astronomical events controlled the cycle of day and night, the ebb and flow of tides, and the mating periods of animals, and people have understood this since ancient times. Focusing on the sun, they sowed and harvested crops, household, celebrated holidays and prayed to their gods.
This is evidenced by the layout of many archaeological sites of the late Neolithic and Bronze Age. For example, the main axes of the Newgrange monument (Ireland) and the axes of the Stonehenge monument (Great Britain) are carefully aligned and point to the sunrise on the winter solstice.
Feast before the unknown
The winter solstice was extremely important in the life of the primitive community: people doubted that they would be able to survive the winter months - not only the frosty ones, but also the hungry ones.
So the day of the winter solstice was the last holiday before the beginning of the difficult winter period, when the most was consumed fresh meat. Livestock was slaughtered en masse - in the cold there was nothing to feed them.
In addition, by the last ten days of December, most of the wine and beer made in the warm season was ready and could be drunk. A kind of winter festival began - a feast, followed by the unknown.
It was the days of solstices and equinoxes, with the special role of the Sun in the sky, that served as the impetus for the emergence of various deities and traditions.
For example, in Greek mythology, gods and goddesses welcomed winter and summer solstice. These days, even God was allowed to appear on Mount Olympus underworld Hades.
The Slavs celebrated the winter solstice folk holiday Kolyada, among the Germanic peoples - Yule, among the Romans until the 3rd century - Sol Invictus.
See with my own eyes
Observing the solstices with the naked eye is difficult: the star moves to the peak point so slowly that it is difficult to determine the specific day of the phenomenon, not to mention its instant.
Knowing the time of an event down to the instant has only recently become possible, thanks to the precise tracking of astronomical data.
The actual moment of the solstice cannot be detected by definition. It is impossible to notice that the object has stopped moving. We can only state that in the current measurement it has not changed its position compared to the previous measurement.
Thus, most observations indicate the day of the solstice, and not its instant.
Spring is coming
This year the winter solstice fell on Thursday, December 21st. Traditionally, December 22 is considered the shortest day in the northern hemisphere, but in practice this astronomical event jumps around the calendar due to its discrepancy with the duration solar year. At half past seven in the evening Moscow time, the Sun will reach its farthest position from the celestial equator to the side South Pole peace. And gradually it will begin to approach the Earth again.
To be precise, the current winter solstice will occur at 19:28 Moscow time. This day at Moscow latitude was the shortest of the year: the luminary rose above the horizon by only 11 degrees. Beyond the Arctic Circle comes a long, twilight night, and closer to North Pole Even reflections in the sky are not visible during the daytime.
Despite the gloominess of the astronomical picture, since ancient times the peoples of the world have celebrated the winter solstice as the day of the birth of a new cycle of life, the rebirth of the Sun. This is because from now on the length of daylight will gradually increase, after winter spring and the long-awaited summer will come. In Russian folklore there are signs dedicated to the short day in the year: if there is frost on the trees on this day, it means that the grain harvest will be rich.
By the way, it’s interesting: it is believed that the weather on New Year’s Eve will be exactly the same as on the shortest day. In Moscow, apparently, severe frosts do not threaten those who like to stroll around the festive city while the chimes strike.
For the winter solstice, there are many tips on how to spend it correctly for the benefit of the future. Thus, it is believed that on this day success accompanies any endeavor - in work, study and even in personal life. It is also believed that on this day it is useful to practice meditation and self-development.
There is a tradition of throwing away old unnecessary things, which is a symbol of readiness for renewal and a new stage in life.
There is also such a belief: if on the day of the winter solstice you write down your sorrows on paper and burn it, saying: “All this is in the past,” then the problems will really be left behind.
The calendar we are used to says that the year begins on the first of January and is divided into 12 months. But nature has its own laws, which, unfortunately, are poorly coordinated with astronomy. However, our ancestors knew and respected the laws of nature. The winter solstice was considered the most important holiday in the annual cycle - when will it be in 2019 and what practices are recommended for everyone? Read the details in this article.
What happens on this day?
First of all, let's figure out what the winter solstice is. On this day we can observe the longest night and the shortest daylight of the year. Magical time, isn't it? Our ancestors had no doubt about this.
Holiday dates:
- December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere (these are all countries above the equator);
- June 20 or 21 – in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, most countries Latin America and etc.).
The exact date depends on the year, it's all about the calendar shift due to leap years.
In 2020, the winter solstice will occur on December 21 at 13:02 Moscow time. If you live in another region, you can calculate the time yourself, knowing Moscow time.
On this day the Sun reaches its lowest position. Then, at the end of December and January, it rises higher above the horizon, making daylight longer.
In astrology, on this day the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Sagittarius to the sign Capricorn, and astrological winter begins (the period of the signs Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces).
Since Capricorn is associated with planning, at this time it is advisable to think through and write down goals for the coming year. Think about what is truly important to you and what you want to get rid of.
Our ancestors viewed the solstice as a time of rebirth, the emergence of hope and the joyful beginning of the path to solar abundance.
Some call the holiday the winter equinox. However, this is not true. The equinox occurs in spring and autumn, in March and September, when day is equal to night. And in winter and summer there are solstices.
Table of winter solstices until 2025
| Year | Date and time in Moscow |
| 2020 | 21 December 13:02 |
| 2021 | December 21 18:59 |
| 2022 | December 22 00:48 |
| 2023 | December 22 06:27 |
| 2024 | December 21 12:20 |
| 2025 | December 21 18:03 |
What is so special about the solstices and equinoxes? See more about the astronomical meaning of this amazing phenomenon in the video:
Rituals and rituals
Many rituals are recommended to be performed on the day of the solstice. The fact is that this is the shortest and most mysterious day of the year. When a colossal amount of energy is generated in nature, but it does not manifest itself clearly, but is hidden in the dark corners of the longest night.
Before carrying out any rituals (several days before the holiday), it is necessary to carry out a thorough cleaning of the entire apartment or house:
- Wash everything, even the most secluded corners.
- Put things in order, put things in their places.
- Clear out your closet and decide what you need and what you don't.
- Collect unnecessary items and distribute them to those in need.
Thanks to such actions, you will clear space in your life for something new and joyful.
Ritual of letting go
- Write down on paper everything negative and bad that happened during the year - what you want to get rid of or forget.
- Say the appropriate words that you must choose for yourself. For example: “I forgive and let go of everything that happened” or “I leave these events in the past, let them go away and never return.”
- Now burn a piece of paper, imagining how your sorrows are burned in the fire. And problems disappear with the smoke.
- Feel liberated.
Ritual to fulfill a wish
A wish is made at dawn:
- Stand facing east - look in the direction where the reborn Sun rises.
- Thank the Sun for all the good things in your life and ask for help in the coming season.
- Make a wish - try to mention as many details as possible.
- Imagine that your wish has already come true. What do you feel? Let your imagination paint happy pictures.
On this holiday, it’s good to make wishes that involve renewing your life and attracting something new. It is also recommended to drink ginger tea throughout the day.
If your desire involves saving money, then the ideal option would be to open a bank savings account on the day of the solstice or the next day. By doing this, you will not only conceive what you want, but also take the first step towards realization. Which is very important.
Ritual for cleansing
Carried out in the bathroom:
- Fill the bathtub with warm water.
- Be sure to add sea salt, because she takes on all the negativity. But it’s better to avoid foam on this day.
- Place several candles in the bathroom (an odd number), turning off the electric lights.
- Prepare some pleasant music for relaxation. These can be sounds of nature, religious chants, ethnic music, and so on.
- Lie down in the bath. Imagine that your body is heavy, filled with the worries of the passing year.
- Now visualize that water and salt are taking away all your problems. And every moment your body becomes lighter.
- Drain the water, imagining that everything bad goes away with it. Rinse off in the shower.
After performing the ritual, you will feel a true renewal at the level of body and soul.
Winter solstice holiday among different nations
Our distant ancestors focused on natural phenomena and the movement of the Sun in calculating time periods. The winter solstice point was significant for the construction of such historical structures as:
- Stonehenge in the UK;
- Newgrange in Ireland.
Their main axes are oriented along the sunrise and sunset on the solstices.
Ancient Roman Saturnalia
IN Ancient Rome On the days of the solstice, the festival of Saturnalia was celebrated in honor of the god Saturn. The celebration lasted from December 17 to 23. By this time all agricultural work was completed. And people could indulge in celebration and fun.
It was customary to temporarily stop public affairs and send schoolchildren on vacation. It was even forbidden to punish criminals.
Slaves sat at the same table with their masters and were freed from daily work. There was a symbolic equalization of rights.
Crowds of celebrating people walked in the streets. Everyone praised Saturn. On the days of Saturnalia, a pig was slaughtered as a sacrifice, and then they began to have fun. A tradition of exchanging gifts arose, which later moved on to modern Christmas and New Year.
Yule among the ancient Germans
This is a medieval holiday, one of the main ones of the year. It was celebrated on a grand scale. The word “Yule” was used to describe the longest night of the year, which fell on the winter solstice.
It was believed that on this day the Oak King was reborn, he warmed the frozen ground and gave life to seeds in the soil, which were stored during the long winter, so that by spring they would germinate and give a harvest.
People lit fires in the fields. It was customary to drink alcoholic drink cider. Children went from house to house with gifts. Baskets were woven from branches of evergreens and ears of wheat, and apples and cloves were placed in them, which were sprinkled with flour.
Apples are a symbol of the sun and immortality, and wheat is a symbol of a good harvest. Flour meant light and success.
Houses were also decorated with tree branches: ivy, holly, mistletoe. It was believed that this helped to invite the spirits of nature to join the celebration. Spirits could bestow happy life household members.
On the Yule holiday, a ritual log was burned, the Yule tree was decorated (a prototype of the New Year's tree) and gifts were exchanged. The image of the log has been preserved in many countries to this day.
Holiday in Christianity
In Christianity, these days celebrate the Nativity of Christ. In the Catholic tradition, it occurs on December 24, when the Sun, after passing its lowest point, is again “reborn” and rises higher.
It is believed that when Christianity replaced paganism, new Christian holidays merged with pagan ones. This is how Christmas appeared in his modern form with a decorated Christmas tree and gifts for relatives and friends. After all, in fact, this is the celebration of the birth of Christ, but it is celebrated very similar to the medieval Yule.
In Orthodoxy, due to the use of the Julian calendar, the date is 2 weeks behind the solstice; Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. However, historically it is the same date. It’s just that over the course of two thousand years the solstice point has shifted by half a month.
Holiday in Slavic culture
The Slavs celebrated the day of Karachun - the harsh deity of winter. They believed that Karachun brings winter cold to the earth, plunging nature into winter sleep.
Another name for the deity is Korochun, which means “the shortest.” The winter solstice precedes the rebirth of the Sun.
Bonfires were burned everywhere, which were designed to help the Sun gain victory over death and be reborn. After Karachun the nights waned, and daylight hours became longer.
Subsequently, this deity turned into Frost - a gray-haired old man, from whose breath bitter frosts begin and rivers become covered with ice. The Slavs believed that if Frost hit the hut with his staff, the logs would crack.
Frost does not like those who are afraid of it and hide, complain about the cold and quickly get cold. But to those who are not afraid of him, he bestows rosy cheeks, strength of spirit and good mood. This is reflected in the fairy tale “Morozko”.
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