Each of us has noticed more than once that in winter the Sun rises later and sets much earlier than in summer. The days at this time are the shortest of the entire year, but among them there is one day that is shorter than all the others.
What number does it fall on? How long does it last? And why does this happen? The answers to these questions are simple and have been known for a long time. The reason for the shortest days is a natural phenomenon called the winter solstice.
What is solstice?
Solstice is understood as an event during which the Sun passes through the cross-sectional points of the celestial sphere that are maximally distant from its equator. In other words, the shortest day occurs at the moment when the angle of deviation of its axis from the Sun acquires the greatest value.
In simple terms, with the onset of autumn, the Sun sets lower and lower on the horizon, and the days become shorter. Over time, it reaches its lowest point, stops above the horizon, and then begins to rise. The day when the Sun is at its lowest point is the shortest.
Since ancient times, this event was considered the most important milestone in the annual cycle and played a significant role in people's lives. Many nations, based on the solstice, compiled annual calendars and organized holidays and feasts. 
In Rus', the shortest day was celebrated by celebrating the Solstice, which, according to the ancient Slavs, was the birthday of the Sun.
When is the solstice?
In general, solstice occurs 2 times a year - in winter and summer, but if in winter we see the shortest day, then in summer we see the longest. At the summer solstice, the altitude of our star becomes the highest, and the angle of the planet’s rotation axis takes on the smallest value.
That is, if by winter the Sun drops to its lowest point and then rises above the horizon again, then by summer, on the contrary, it reaches its highest point, and then begins to descend. The timing of this event varies by hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs in December, and the summer solstice in July. In the southern hemisphere, the opposite happens.
What day is the shortest of the year?
The winter solstice can fall on different dates: in the northern hemisphere - on December 21 or 22, in the southern - on July 20 or 21. It all depends on the calendar shift and the type of year - regular or leap year. 
The date of the shortest day was first established in 45 BC by the commander Julius Caesar. Then the astronomical event took place on December 25.
Over the past two thousand years, this date has changed several times, since every 400 years the solstice moves by about 3 days. In particular, by the 16th century the Sun was lowest above the horizon on December 12, that is, the difference from the original date was 13 days.
At the end of the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII decided to harmonize the civil and seasonal calendars. He annulled the 10-day shift that occurred from the 4th to the 17th centuries, but did not take into account the 3-day shift that occurred from 45 BC until the 4th century. As a result, according to the Julian calendar, the winter solstice began to be celebrated on December 21–22.
How long is the shortest day?
Day length at the winter solstice varies depending on latitude. It is generally accepted that in the central regions of the northern hemisphere it lasts 5 hours 53 minutes. This figure can vary significantly in different areas of the world.
For example, in areas located on the equator, day is almost equal to night. In the area of the Arabian Peninsula it lasts about 11 hours, and in Moscow – approximately 6 hours 56 minutes. 
In regions located in the northern Arctic, the Sun may not rise above the horizon at all, that is, during this period there is a polar night. In areas located beyond the Antarctic Circle, everything happens the other way around - on December 21, polar day reigns there, and the Sun does not set throughout the day.
Thus, the closer to the equator in the northern hemisphere, the longer the shortest day, and the closer to the equator in the southern hemisphere, the shorter it is.
Solstice is one of the two days of the year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator, i.e. when the height of the star above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. This results in the longest day and shortest night (summer solstice) in one hemisphere of the Earth and the shortest day and longest night (winter solstice) in the other.
Longest day of the year
The day of the summer solstice is the day of the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, that is, if the inhabitants of the Northern part of the Earth from this moment are at the beginning of astronomical summer, then for the inhabitants of the Southern hemisphere astronomical winter will begin in the same period of time.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, 21, or 22. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on these dates. Due to various inequalities in the movement of the Earth, the solstices fluctuate by 1-2 days.
In 2017, astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere will begin on June 21 at 7.34 am Moscow time.
© Sputnik / Vladimir Sergeev
On the day of the summer solstice at the latitude of Moscow, the Sun rises above the horizon to a height of more than 57 degrees, and in territories located above a latitude of 66.5 degrees (the Arctic Circle), it does not set beyond the horizon at all, and the day lasts around the clock. At the North Pole of the Earth, the Sun moves across the sky at the same height around the clock. It is polar night at the South Pole at this time.
During several adjacent days of the solstice, the midday heights of the Sun in the sky are almost unchanged; This is where the name of the solstice comes from. After the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the day begins to wane, and the night gradually begins to increase. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way around. For thousands of years, the summer solstice was of great importance to our ancient ancestors, who obeyed the cycles of nature.
How the Slavs celebrated the solstice
In the old days, even before the advent of Christianity, the holiday of Kupala, dedicated to the ancient pagan god Kupala, was timed to coincide with the summer solstice.
On this day and night, they wove wreaths, drank surya (a honey drink), jumped over fires, made sacrifices to water and fire, collected medicinal herbs, performed rituals calling for the harvest, and “purifying the soul and body” ablutions in rivers, lakes and streams. The central place among the vegetation that night was occupied by ferns. It was believed that a fern flower, blooming only for a moment at midnight, would accurately indicate where the treasure was buried.
© Sputnik / Alexey Malgavko
People said: “At Kupala there is sun for the winter, and summer for the heat,” “Whoever does not go to the Bath will be a tree stump, and whoever goes to the Bath will be a white birch.”
The holiday has many names. Depending on the location and time, it was called Kupala, Kres (Old Russian), Ivan the kind, loving, Ivan-Kupala, Ivan the Herbalist, Yarilin's day (in the Yaroslavl and Tver provinces), Sontsekres (Ukrainian), Spirits-day (Bulgarian) and etc. In Ukraine it is also known as Kupailo, in Belarus - Kupala.
© Sputnik / Konstantin Chalabov
Participants of the Novgorod Kupala festival in Veliky Novgorod
With the adoption of Christianity, people did not reject the holiday of Kupala, but, on the contrary, timed this day to coincide with the day of John the Baptist, which, according to the old style, falls on June 24. But according to the new calendar style, the day of John the Baptist falls on July 7th. Today, the celebration does not correspond to the astronomical solar equinox.
How the solstice is celebrated in the West
The celebration of the summer solstice was present in all ancient pagan systems; many peoples still celebrate it to this day, some in its original form and some in a simplified form, leaving only the basic rituals and transforming the ancient rituals of their ancestors into a vibrant holiday.
The summer solstice among all Celtic peoples was considered the time of fairies, elves and other supernatural beings. Among the Celtic peoples of Britain, the holiday was called Litha and was closely associated with the pagan cult of the sun.
© Sputnik / Egor Eremov
The Scandinavian and Baltic peoples celebrated the day and night of the summer solstice magnificently. Subsequently, these holidays in different countries were called Midsummer's Day or Midsummer's Night (from the national version of the name Ivan).
In Latvia, the holiday is called Ligo or Jan's Day, it has state status and is celebrated on June 23 and 24, which are official holidays. In Estonia it is also called Jan's Day, in Lithuania - Jonines or Rasos (dew festival). In both countries it is celebrated on June 24 and is a public holiday and day off.
In Norway, the holiday named after John the Baptist is called Jonsok ("Midsummer's Night"). Another name for the holiday is Jonsvaka (Jonsvoko) - formed from the name Johan and the verb vake - “to stay awake”. It was believed that on Midsummer night one should not sleep until dawn - not only because one can hear the singing of elves, but above all for the purpose of protection for the whole coming year. Another name for the holiday, more “official”, is Sankthansnatt or Sankthansaften (St. Hans’s Night).
Sputnik
Sailing yacht from Finland "Svanhild" at the "Days of the Sea" holiday in the Tallinn port of Vanasadam
In Sweden the holiday is called Midsommar. Until 1953, it was celebrated on the same day that the Christian Church celebrated the day of John the Baptist. But now the holiday usually falls on the penultimate Saturday of June, that is, it is usually celebrated from June 20 to 26. In Sweden, the celebration begins the day before, on Friday, which is also a non-working holiday.
In Finland, during pagan times, the holiday was called in honor of the God of Fire - Ukon juhla, but now it is called Juhannus - an outdated form of pronunciation of the name of John the Baptist. Since 1954, Johannus has been celebrated on a Saturday falling between the 20th and 26th of June. Since 1934, this day has been an official holiday - the Day of the National Flag of the country.
Folk signs on the summer solstice
On this day, it is customary to follow signs, this is what people paid attention to.
Bad weather on the summer solstice predicted a crop failure and a poor year. It is believed that if the Sun is hidden behind the clouds, summer will be bad.
If there is a lot of dew in the morning - a rich harvest. This dew was collected and poured into one vessel; it was considered healing. The water collected in the morning from wells and springs had the same power. They washed themselves with it that same day and drank it.
If there are many stars in the sky, this means mushroom summer.
It is also believed that if you climb over 12 fences on this day, your wish will come true within a year.
And in order to get rid of all diseases, you need to take a steam bath with a broom collected on this particular day.
The material is compiled from open sources.
The summer solstice is the day when the Sun reaches its peak position above the horizon, and accordingly, daylight hours are the longest of the entire year. This day has powerful energy and can bring considerable luck if you live it correctly.
The summer solstice is very important for humanity. This is the time of fulfillment of desires, elation and recharging of “internal batteries”. Especially if the day is sunny and warm.
When is the summer solstice in 2018?
The Earth moves around the Sun along a once and for all given trajectory. Therefore, important milestones, such as the summer solstice, are unchanged and always occur at the same time, at the same moment. Strictly speaking, the summer solstice is not a day, but one of the main points in the Earth's orbit. After its passage, the daylight hours begin to shorten. Therefore, this milestone is considered the beginning of astronomical autumn, lasting until the autumnal equinox. The summer solstice in 2018 will occur on June 21, as usual. Let us remember that the exception is leap years: due to the “extra” day, the date shifts to June 20.
Energy features of the summer solstice
Since daylight hours on June 21 (20) are the longest of the year, the Sun gives the Earth the most heat, and with it its powerful, albeit invisible energy. This is the peak of the summer season, so it should not be met in a bad mood. Positivity will help attract the favorable energy of the Sun.
To absorb its power, you should get out into nature. Bioenergy experts recommend spending the 21st outdoors. And to enhance the positive impression of the day, you can chat with people you are interested in.
The lunar calendar will also bring surprises. On this day, the Moon enters the house of Libra and begins to grow, which goes well with the positive energy of this day. Libra belongs to the air element, it is she who will dominate everything on this day. Many people can feel a truly airy lightness, despite the not-so-positive attitude of the Moon. Its energy today is balanced by the energy of the Sun.
Many cultures, such as the Celts and Slavs, paid close attention to the summer solstice. Many people still celebrate this date. It doesn’t matter what you do on this day: work, relax, meet with friends. The main thing is to maintain a positive attitude. The summer solstice is great for establishing new social connections: dating, first dates. A wedding on this day promises a successful marriage.
A good way to give yourself a lot of pleasant emotions is to make a large, desired purchase. But in order not to waste money, try to plan your shopping on June 21 in advance.
It is simply impossible to know everything in the world, but the inquisitive human mind always strives to obtain new knowledge and information about the world around us. And in this case we are not talking about exact sciences, logarithms, functions or cell division. A person has always been interested in what is happening around him - simple things, but about which you can always learn a little more.
Not everyone can confidently answer the questions “What is the shortest day of the year? What is the longest day of the year?” Well, sometimes you can still get an answer, but it’s incomplete. This article will discuss exactly this. The reader will be able to find out when the shortest and longest days come in the year, as well as what meaning they had in different cultures.
When those days come
To begin with, it is worth designating the dates when you can observe the shortest and longest days. The period when the longest day, called summer solstice. Typically in the northern hemisphere this day falls on 21st of June. This date may shift by a day during leap years. Sometimes the solstice can occur on June 20th.
The shortest day of the year, as you might guess, comes in winter - December 21 or 22. This phenomenon is called winter solstice. At noon on the shortest day, the sun's height above the horizon reaches its minimum. It should also be noted that the winter solstice occurs only in the northern hemisphere. The length of such a day is the shortest in the year and can reach only a couple of hours in some latitudes, after which the length of the day gradually increases.
The summer and winter solstices are not just dates, they have a certain meaning for scientists. It is after the summer solstice that astronomical spring ends and summer begins accordingly. Also, astronomers believe that astronomical winter does not begin on the first of December according to the calendar, namely after the winter solstice.
The meaning of these days in pagan cultures
Such atypical days relative to other calendar days were noticed already in ancient times and immediately became some kind of symbols, harbingers of certain phenomena. In principle, in those distant times, almost all events that could not be explained by people from a scientific point of view turned into various signs and omens.
Astronomical events seemed especially strange and inexplicable to people. Celestial bodies, the appearance of comets, rainbows and even rains in the sky sometimes caused awe and fear in people. It is not surprising that everything inexplicable gave rise in the minds of the population of that time a special meaning associated with the manifestation of divine powers, and immediately gave rise to various myths and prejudices.
Equinox days, and longest and shortest days, could not stay away from the inquisitive human mind. Noticing this oddity over time, our ancestors immediately attached special significance to these events. In a calendar year, such dates occur only four times, which immediately gave rise to certain conclusions in the human mind that led to the endowment of these dates with sacred meaning.
- It should be noted that when considering the various cultural characteristics of different peoples and tribes, certain similarities associated with these dates can be identified. Indeed, many myths and interpretations may be similar even among cultural communities that are not considered related. There is nothing unusual in this, it’s just that the human mind immediately identified phenomena and events with certain associations, which, in principle, are logical and can be explained.
For example, day of spring equinox came at a time when nature was awakening after winter captivity, as if reviving after death or a serious illness. Our ancestors called this date the moment of resurrection, rebirth. People celebrated and had fun, celebrating the fact that the cold and harsh season had finally given way to sun and warmth.
As you might have guessed, the event of the spring equinox was contrasted with the day of the autumn equinox. At the same time, it contained two meanings that were opposite to each other. As everyone knows, harvest is harvested in autumn, and this was not just a good and favorable event, but a very significant, something grandiose, especially considering the fact that in ancient times people’s food depended very much on the harvests.
The positive significance of the onset of autumn was combined with the beginning of the period of withering of nature, so the day was at the same time associated with death. Halloween is precisely an echo of the holiday of our ancestors, associated with the spirits of the dead, with pumpkins symbolizing the harvest, and masks and frightening robes symbolizing the dead.
The longest and shortest days also were not deprived of the attention of people in ancient times. These days began the countdown of a new time in the year, so most often people associated them with hopes for the future. On these days, sacrifices were made, prayers were offered to the gods and hopes for the best - for prosperity, a good harvest, positive changes.
Dualism of winter and summer solstice
As mentioned just above, the days of the winter and summer solstice also had special significance for our ancestors. Considering that at that time people did not have the ability to track all astronomical phenomena, it should still be noted that they were able to identify the shortest and longest days over time, and also assign them certain values.
The summer solstice was considered a flowering festival, joy, exuberance of life, as well as a celebration of fertility. For people, this date has become a fun and joyful holiday. At the same time, the attitude of our ancestors to the winter solstice turned out to be somewhat contradictory. This was due to the fact that this event had a dark side - it was on the shortest day of the year that, according to people’s beliefs, spirits went on rampage with maximum power. But at the same time, these terrible circumstances were replaced by hope for something better and brighter - it was believed that after the incident of this day, the bright deities came into force.
- The traditions of many nations are very similar to each other. The traditional foundations of the Britons, Gauls and ancient Greeks are largely repeated among themselves. Because of this widespread influence on the general culture of the Old World, some pagan customs served as the foundation for the existence of subsequent Christian holidays. Thus, we can say that there was a mixture of traditions.
Summer and winter solstice in Slavic culture
A completely logical question may arise: why are Christian holidays all over the world celebrated on the longest and shortest days of the year? This circumstance can hardly be attributed to a banal coincidence. Even Christmas, one of the most popular holidays in the world, used to be celebrated according to the old style, that is, two weeks earlier. And the expression "Christmas Eve" always had its own sacred meaning.
In Slavic culture, on the longest day of the year, people celebrated a holiday Ivan Kupala. Everyone may have heard about this pagan holiday - yes, it was on this date that people gathered and jumped over the fire, told fortunes, and also believed that on this day the evil spirits became stronger. In the calendar of Christian holidays, this day marks the feast of St. John the Baptist. In principle, this is a kind of hybrid of Christian and pagan holidays. Ivan Kupala and John the Baptist, who performed baptismal ceremonies in water, are even somewhat consonant.
Ivan Kupala holiday on the day of the summer solstice in Slavic culture was a significant date for free boys and girls. The Slavs attached great importance to this festival - it was believed that the marriage union that was concluded on this date would be strong and durable.
The day of the winter solstice, and then the night before Christmas according to the old style, meant high activity of dark forces and evil spirits, which then lost their strength after the longest night of the year. Subsequently, the pagan component served as the foundation for the Christian holiday - on this night Jesus was born, personifying the victory over evil spirits and the beginning of a bright time.
Video
You will learn more about the longest day of the year in our video.
Since ancient times, people have believed that at this time they can attract many positive changes into their lives in terms of material wealth and well-being.
After reading this article, you can find out what the longest and shortest night of the year is.
People of many nationalities believed in the unusual mystical power of the solstice. This magical period, according to many, is characterized by the incredible strength of its energy and is marked by the longest night.
Before we find out which night is the longest of the year, let's take a brief look at what this time represented for people who lived in previous centuries.
General information from history
In Rus', since the 18th century, a rather interesting ritual has been associated with this day (winter solstice). The head of the Moscow Cathedral bell ringers, who was responsible for striking the clock, came to bow to the Tsar. On this day, he reported to the ruler that the sun had turned for summer, the day was slowly beginning to increase, and the night was decreasing. The king, in turn, rewarded the elder with money for such good news.
December 22 can be called New Year, but natural. Sun at 21 hours 11 minutes. Moscow time on December 21, it descends to its maximum in the southern hemisphere, thus astronomical winter begins. At the latitude of Moscow, the length of daylight hours is 6 hours 56 minutes.
It is dark for quite a long time from December 21 to 22. The Sun sets lowest after such a night - on the day of the winter solstice. It is also called the solstice.
In everyday life, this phenomenon is invisible to people, but it is perfectly demonstrated in special photographs taken by astronomers. The sun is photographed at the same time all year round, then all the images are combined into one image. It shows an analemma - a bizarre trajectory of changes in the location of the star in the sky. It is in the shape of a figure eight, in which the very edge of the lower loop corresponds to the solstice. So, the longest night is from December 21 to 22.
After this “New Year”, the day gradually begins to increase until it is equal in length to the night, and this is the day of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20. Then (June 21) comes the summer solstice, when the day becomes the longest, but the night is shortest.
The most fun night
The longest night of the year (the number is presented above) for many peoples is also the most fun.
The ancient peoples of Great Britain, many centuries ago, tried to joke, laugh and have fun a lot on this night. People believed that the problems voiced in the form of jokes that night would definitely be resolved positively soon. They were sure that the more fun they had during this period, the luckier the coming year would be.
About the mystical power of a significant period
The longest night of the year, in the minds of many peoples, has mystical powers. It has long been believed that the solstice is a significant day. During this period, there is a revival of all that is bright, and the subsequent addition of hours of daylight marks the victory of light over darkness.
This significant time was always celebrated in a special way: folk holidays were timed to coincide with it. The Celts, for example, celebrated Yule (analogous to the New Year) during this period. On the day of the solstice, the Slavic peoples revered Karachun (the deity of cold and darkness, the lord of winter).
According to Slavic beliefs, on this night darkness conquers light, and with the arrival of a new morning everything ends happily. With the victory of light comes the renewal of the world, victory triumphs over evil.
In the cultures of different nations, the time of the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) was considered the most favorable for performing various rituals and ceremonies. Many of them, which came from antiquity, can be applied now, since the power of the longest night of the year has not diminished over time, and people, as before, always have the desire to change themselves and their lives for the better.
The energy of the transition from darkness to light (renewal) helps to get rid of everything unnecessary and attract what you want.
Ritual to get rid of problems
When the longest night of the year passes, it becomes possible to experience the beneficial effects of the solstice for yourself.
Rituals are celebrated with particular effectiveness at such a time (energy-saturated) as the solstice day. You should take advantage of this opportunity, because such a period occurs only 2 times a year.
The ritual for getting rid of various problems is especially relevant, due to the fact that the solstice occurs almost before the New Year. Everyone wants to move into a new stage of life, leaving failures and difficulties behind. And it is precisely this period that can help in this: the energy message sent to the Universe during the ritual is a reliable means of solving problems.
The ritual must be performed in solitude, after the Sun goes below the horizon. What is it? You should light a candle and, peering into the fire, think about the troubles and problems that interfere with your life and that you want to get rid of. At the same time, say the following words: “I drive away the darkness with fire, I rid myself of oppression. The night will pass and it will take my problems with it. As the day increases, my life will be filled with happiness. To be this."
After these words, the candle should burn for some time in a safe place, and before going to bed it should be extinguished and the ritual should be completed with the following words: “Let everything you wish come true.”
Conclusion
December 22 is such a long night! It can help you do many important things: meet, make peace, think and make wishes, analyze the past and think about the future...
