Winter solstice falls on December 21

The 2025 winter solstice falls on Sunday, December 21, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The word 'solstice' comes from the Latin sol, meaning 'sun', and sistere - to 'stand still'.

The winter solstice is the moment the Sun appears to stand still, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, the most southerly latitude it reaches annually.

This gives the southern hemisphere its longest day of the year with the Sun reaching its highest angle in the sky.

It leaves the northern hemisphere with less sunlight and consequently its maximum amount of darkness.

We have solstices because the Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5 degrees, which affects which part of the planet's surface the sun is directly overhead at any given time.

After the winter solstice the Sun begins to move north again relative to the equator until eventually - six months later - it reaches it most northerly point, overhead the Tropic of Cancer, and gives us the summer solstice.

Midway between the two solstices we have the equinoxes where the sun is directly over the equator.