As the Earth rotates around the sun, it reaches certain points when the north poles are too far from the sun. The North Pole can be tilted as far as -23.5 degrees away from the Sun. During this time, day only lasts seven hours and 94 minutes.
This year's solstice falls on December 21st at 10:44 Universal time. Different countries celebrate the solstice in their own way and each country offers a blend of tradition.
The most famous place that celebrates the Winter Solstice is at Stonehenge. This magnificent landmark found at Wiltshire, England is a meeting place for most people to celebrate the astronomical phenomenon.
As the sun sets, it aligns with one of the spaces formed by the stone arches in Stonehenge. Tourists lock to the location as druids celebrate with religious ceremonies along with dancing and chanting.
The next location does not celebrate the Solstice in a sense of merrymaking, but rather it gives a religious and historical reverence. The Temple of Amun at Karnak features the sunrise between the walls of monument itself.
In Peru, the winter solstice is celebrated during June. Inti Raymi is the place for their Celebration of the Sun where ancient Incas made sacrifices to their Sun God. Today, a reenactment is done by actors without shedding any blood to commemorate the event.
Scandinavia's St Lucia's Day was previously celebrated during December 13 in memory of St. Lucia. Today, winter solstice and the celebration of St Lucia has been intertwined and both are celebrated together.
To celebrate the event, Scandinavians eat lussekats (a type of sweet bread) are eaten in the morning. Ginger biscuits are served in the evening along with a festival of lights.
In China, the Dongzhi Festival serves as another version of Christmas. Most citizens finish work early and dine with their families in a meal that usually includes tongyuen (soup with balls of sticky rice).
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
