What is the first day of winter in 2022

The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere is in December; south of the equator, it is in June. Find out exactly when the winter season starts.

In the temperate and polar zones, winter is the cold season.

©iStockphoto.com/standret

According to the astronomical definition, winter begins with the winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere, it's the December solstice; south of the equator, it is the solstice in June.

What is a solstice?

Solstices and equinoxes in your city

Alternative Winter Start Dates

Meteorologists use a different method of defining the first day of winter. And, in some countries, the beginning of the seasons is determined by average temperatures rather than fixed dates or astronomical events.

Meteorological and other seasons definitions

Days Get Longer During Winter

Astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This means days get longer during winter—very slowly at first, but at ever-larger daily intervals as the March equinox approaches, heralding the start of spring.

Locations closer to the poles experience larger differences in day length throughout the year, so winter days are shorter there. In Toronto, the shortest day is just under 8 hours and 56 minutes long; in Miami, roughly 2000 kilometers or 1200 miles farther south, it lasts about 10 hours and 32 minutes.

Places within the polar circles experience polar night during all or part of the winter season when the Sun does not rise at all.

Earliest sunset is not on the shortest day

Earth's orientation at the December solstice

© timeanddate.com

Longer Days, but Falling Temperatures

Although daylight hours increase during the winter months, temperatures continue to fall in most regions. This is because it takes time for Earth to warm up, an effect known as seasonal lag.

Winter Traditions and Folklore

The start of winter and the winter solstice are celebrated in cultures and religions around the world with various traditions, holidays, and festivals.

Winter festivals: Christmas, Juul, and Saturnalia

Winter Months

In the Northern Hemisphere, astronomical and meteorological winter runs from December to March. South of the equator, it starts in June and ends in September. Read more about the history and meaning of the winter months:

Northern winter months

December | January | February | March

Southern winter months

June | July | August | September

How Long Is Winter?

The Earth does not move at a constant speed in its elliptical orbit, so the seasons are not of equal length. On average, winter lasts for 89.0 days in the Northern Hemisphere and 93.6 days in the Southern Hemisphere.

Average season lengths:

Topics: Astronomy, Seasons, December, June, Sun, Solstice

Winter solstice 2022 occurs on Tuesday, December 21, 2022 at 10:59 a.m. EST for the Northern Hemisphere. For this reason, it is also known as the December solstice.

What Is the Winter Solstice?

It’s the astronomical moment when the Sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn, we have our shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere in terms of daylight. Regardless of what the weather is doing outside your window, the solstice marks the official start of winter.

What’s in store for winter weather? Read our extended forecast!

What Does “Solstice” Mean?

The term “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still) because, during the solstice, the angle between the Sun’s rays and the plane of the Earth’s equator (called declination) appears to stand still.

So what does that mean, exactly? Upon the winter solstice, the Sun appears at its lowest in the sky, and its noontime elevation seems to stay the same for several days before and after this day. The Sun’s gradual decrease in the sky reverses upon the winter solstice, marking what many cultures believe to be a “rebirth” of the Sun as the hours of daylight become longer.

Essentially, daylight hours (the period of time between sunrise and sunset each day) have been growing slightly shorter each day since the summer solstice last June, which is the longest day of the year (at least in terms of light). December 21 marks the start of when days will begin to grow longer. They will continue to do so until we reach the summer solstice again in June. Then the cycle will begin anew.

While we celebrate the winter solstice, those living in the Southern Hemisphere will be simultaneously marking the arrival of summer. That’s because while our half of the globe is inclined away from the Sun, their half is inclined toward it. Being tilted away from the Sun brings us shorter days and colder temperatures.

Early man kept track of the days by observing the Sun as it “moved” across the sky and cast shadows during the day and at different times of the year.  In fact, historians believe Stonehenge in England was erected to keep track of the Sun’s yearly progress.

Winter Solstice Traditions: Folklore and Celebrations

The Winter Solstice has played an important role in cultures worldwide from ancient times until today. In fact, many of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with Christmas are actually associated with winter solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures. Here are some examples:

Alban Arthan

Welsh for “Light of Winter,” Alban Arthan is a universal festival, which has been (and still is) celebrated by many people and is probably the oldest seasonal festival of humankind. In Druidic traditions, the Winter Solstice is thought of as a time of death and rebirth when Nature’s powers and our own souls are renewed. It marks the moment in time when the Old Sun dies (at dusk on the 21st of December) and when the Sun of the New Year is born (at dawn on the 22nd of December), framing the longest night of the year. The birth of the New Sun is thought to revive the Earth’s aura in mystical ways, giving a new lease on life to spirits and souls of the dead. The prehistoric monument, Newgrange built in Ireland around 3200 B.C. (making it older than Stonehenge), is associated with the Alban Arthan festival. The site consists of a large circular mound with a stone passageway and interior chambers. When the Sun rises, the chamber is flooded with sunlight on the Winter Solstice. What Stonehenge is for Alban Hefin (The Druid festival for The Summer Solstice), Newgrange is for Alban Arthan.

The Feast of Juul

This was a festival observed in Scandinavia when fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light and life-giving properties of the returning Sun. A Yule—or Juul—log was brought in and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god, Thor. It was Thor’s job to bring the Sun’s warmth back to the people. The log, which was never allowed to burn entirely, was kept as both a token of good luck against misfortune and used as kindling for the following year’s log. In England, Germany, France, and other European countries, the Yule log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and spread into the fields as fertilizer every night until Twelfth Night, or worn around the neck as a charm. French peasants would place the cooled ashes from the log under their beds, believing they would protect the house against thunder and lightning. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated with these fires associated with the Feast of Juul.

Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival

In addition to the traditions from western cultures, the Dongzhi Winter Solstice Festival is celebrated as a time for the entire family to get together to celebrate the past good year. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated. Dumplings are usually eaten.

Saturnalia

In Ancient Rome, the Winter Solstice festival referred to as Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held to honor Saturnus, the Roman god of agriculture and harvest, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgiven, wars were postponed, and people engaged in carnival-like festivities. The popularity of Saturnalia continued into the third and fourth centuries AD, and as the Roman Empire came under Christian rule, some of the festival’s customs have influenced our current celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year.

Did You Know?

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, check your noontime shadow around the time of the solstice: It will be your longest noontime shadow of the year. Conversely, in June, at the time of the summer solstice, you’ll see your shortest noontime shadow. This is because the Sun is at different angles. The Sun’s low arc across the sky in winter causes objects to cast longer shadows.