Winter Solstice 2024: The shortest day and longest night
NEW YORK (PIX11) – Winter is coming. Here’s what you need to know for the official winter solstice.
The season officially starts on Saturday at 4:21 a.m., also known as the winter solstice.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn during the solstice, creating the shortest day and longest night of the year.
After the solstice, the sun’s decrease in the sky slowly reverses, allowing for longer daylight hours. The days will continue to get longer until the summer solstice next June.
The tradition of lighting Yule log at Christmas is believed to have started with a winter solstice tradition called The Feast of Juul, the Farmer’s Almanac says. The festival was originally observed in Scandinavia when Yule log was burned to honor the god Thor.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.