The weather is chilled in countries at the northern hemisphere. Some places are covered in the blanket of snow; others are feeling the ice-cold air. The change in the environment means we are inching closer to the winter solstice—the shortest day of the year. Winter Solstice 2020 is on Monday, December 21, and it is the astronomical first day of winter. We will only get nearly ten hours of the daylight on the solstice, compared to the typical 12 or so hours. Marking the end of fall and the official start of winter, December 21 is significant, for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. But there are a lot of things to know about the solstice. What happens on the winter solstice? When is the first day of winter? How to celebrate the solstice? In this article, we answer all the frequently asked questions (FAQs), related to Winter Solstice 2020 in the northern hemisphere.

When is the First Day of Winter?

For the northern half of Earth, the winter solstice occurs annually on December 21 or 22. The first day of winter 2020 in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice and this year, it occurs on December 21, at 5:02 am Eastern Standard Time (EST). It is the shortest day of the year.

What Happens on Winter Solstice?

The winter solstice occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. During the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is at its maximum tilt away from the Sun, putting the Sun at a lower elevation. The sun rays fall directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, which is south of the equator. While for the northern hemisphere, it is the winter solstice, the southern hemisphere, in places like Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa, the summer solstice will occur, making December 22, the year’s longest day.

Celestial Events on Winter Solstice 2020

For skygazers, a rare celestial treat is to occur when December 21, as two of our solar system’s largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, will look like ‘double planet,’ just after sunset. This is the first time in nearly 800; the two planets will come this close to each other, forming great conjunction. Along with it, the ursids meteor shower is also set to have a sharp peak on December 22 morning, meaning observers will see many more meteors on that day than on days before or after.

How to Celebrate the Winter Solstice?

The winter solstice is known for rituals and traditions that celebrate nature and setting one’s intentions for the coming season. From a yule altar to an evergreen wreath, people across the world honour the change of seasons differently, following ancient rituals that also resemble the holiday season traditions of today. For instance, decorating a yule tree, which quite resembles a Christmas tree, and by December 21 on the winter solstice, most of you will be done with your holiday decorations.

We often think of the winter solstice as an event that spans an entire calendar day, but the solstice actually lasts only a moment. It is the exact moment when a hemisphere is tilted as far away from the Sun as it can be. Let us celebrate the change of seasons with positivity and hope.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2020 07:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).