{"id":1184,"date":"2025-01-24T00:20:34","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T00:20:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/"},"modified":"2025-01-24T00:20:34","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T00:20:34","slug":"today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#8217;s shortest day. Here&#8217;s what to know about the official start of winter."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The celestial event signifies the first day of winter, astronomically.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>What is the winter solstice?<\/h2>\n<p>The <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/winter-solstice-december-21-what-you-should-know-about-the-shortest-day-of-the-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">winter solstice<\/a><\/span> is the day each year that has the shortest period of daylight between sunrise and sunset, and therefore the longest night. It happens when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, a line of latitude that circles the globe south of the equator, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/cle\/seasons#:~:text=The%20winter%20solstice%20marks%20the,The%20Seasons\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">National Weather Service<\/a> explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The farther north you are, the shorter the day will be, and in the Arctic Circle, the sun won&#8217;t rise at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How is the day of the winter solstice determined?<\/h2>\n<p>The winter solstice occurs because of the Earth&#8217;s tilt as it rotates around the sun.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, the nights last longer. The longest night happens on the solstice because the hemisphere is in its furthest position from the sun. That occurs each year on Dec. 21 or 22.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This year, it falls on Dec. 21 at <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/astronomy-essentials\/everything-you-need-to-know-december-solstice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">4:21 a.m ET<\/a>, to be precise.<\/p>\n<p>On the summer solstice, when the northern tilt is closest to the sun, we have the longest day, usually June 20 or 21.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\"><span class=\"img embed__content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"Illustration of the Earth's tilt in different seasons \" height=\"383\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc724308-294f-49f9-a11d-d3cd320df5d5\/thumbnail\/620x383\/121453a2f22dd25a8f61484b49a2d251\/solstice-nws.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf 1x, https:\/\/assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc724308-294f-49f9-a11d-d3cd320df5d5\/thumbnail\/1240x766\/2f91b492c07421a393d9414345e36180\/solstice-nws.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf 2x\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\"><span class=\"embed__caption\">This illustration from the National Weather Service shows the tilt and rotation of the Earth on the winter and summer solstices, as well as the autumnal and vernal equinox marking the beginning of fall and spring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                National Weather Service<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The solstices are not always exactly on the 21st every year because the earth&#8217;s rotation around the sun is 365.25 days, instead of 365 even.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Will days start getting longer after the winter solstice?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. Each day after the solstice, we get one minute more of sunlight. It doesn&#8217;t sound like much, but after just two months, or around 60 days, we&#8217;ll be seeing about an hour more of sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>When will winter officially be over in 2025?<\/h2>\n<p>The meteorological winter ends on March 20, 2025. Then, spring will last until June 20, when the summer solstice arrives.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>How is the winter solstice celebrated around the world?<\/h2>\n<p>Nations and cultures around the world have <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/photos-winter-solstice-traditions-around-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">celebrated the solstice<\/a><\/span> since ancient times with varying rituals and traditions. The influence of those solstice traditions can still be seen in our celebrations of holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/list\/7-winter-solstice-celebrations-from-around-the-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Britannica<\/a> notes.<\/p>\n<p>The ancient Roman Saturnalia festival celebrated the end of the planting season and has close ties with modern-day Christmas. It honored Saturn, the god of harvest and farming. The multiple-day affair had lots of food, games and celebrations. Presents were given to children and the poor, and slaves were allowed to stop working.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gatherings are held every year <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/photos-winter-solstice-traditions-around-world\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">at Stonehenge<\/a><\/span>, a monumental circle of massive stones in England that dates back about 5,000 years. The origins of Stonehenge are shrouded in mystery, but it was built to align with the sun on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.english-heritage.org.uk\/visit\/places\/stonehenge\/things-to-do\/solstice\/winter-solstice-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">solstice days<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"embed embed--type-image is-image embed--float-none embed--size-medium\"><span class=\"img embed__content\"><img alt=\"Winter Solstice at Stonehenge \" height=\"381\" width=\"620\" class=\" lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/620x381\/0c0457bc079479c5298ed682868f255f\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf 1x, https:\/\/assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1240x762\/af3b614cb01340fdebd250488b78d330\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf 2x\"\/><\/span><figcaption class=\"embed__caption-container\"><span class=\"embed__caption\">People gather at sunrise for the winter solstice celebrations at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, on Dec. 22, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>                  <span class=\"embed__credit\"><\/p>\n<p>                Andrew Matthews\/PA Images via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>                          <\/span><br \/>\n              <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Hopi, a Native American tribe in the northern Arizona area, celebrate the winter solstice with dancing, purification and sometimes gift-giving. A sacred ritual known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.kachinahouse.com\/winter-solstice-in-hopi-tradition-the-significance-of-the-soyal-ceremony\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Soyal Ceremony<\/a> marks the annual milestone.<\/p>\n<p>In Peru, people honor the return of the sun god on the winter solstice. The ancient tradition would be to hold sacrificial ceremonies, but today, people hold mock sacrifices to celebrate. Because Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, their winter solstice happens in June, when the Northern Hemisphere is marking its summer solstice.<\/p>\n<p>Scandinavia celebrates St. Lucia&#8217;s Day, a festival of lights.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;arrival of winter,&#8221; or Dong Zhi, is a Chinese festival where family gathers to celebrate the year so far. Traditional foods include tang yuan, sweet rice balls with a black sesame filling. It&#8217;s believed to have its origins in post-harvest celebrations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Researchers stationed in in Antarctica even have their own traditions, which may include an <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/scientists-antarctica-winter-solstice-2018-icy-waters-today-2018-06-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">icy plunge<\/a><\/span> into the polar waters. They celebrate &#8220;midwinter&#8221; with festive meals, movies and sometimes homemade gifts.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- data-recirc-source=\"queryly\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation \">\n<p><h3 class=\"component__title\">More from CBS News<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p><!-- tags --><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/search\/author\/amanda-cappelli\/\" class=\"content-author__name\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Amanda Cappelli<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-author__bio\">\n<div class=\"content-author__full-information\">\n<p class=\"content-author__text\">Amanda Cappelli is a digital producer at CBS News &amp; Stations.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/winter-solstice-2024\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1185,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#039;s shortest day. Here&#039;s what to know about the official start of winter. - World News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#039;s shortest day. Here&#039;s what to know about the official start of winter. - World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf\" \/><meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"998\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\"},\"headline\":\"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#8217;s shortest day. Here&#8217;s what to know about the official start of winter.\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\"},\"wordCount\":711,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\",\"name\":\"Today is the winter solstice and 2024's shortest day. Here's what to know about the official start of winter. - World News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#8217;s shortest day. Here&#8217;s what to know about the official start of winter.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"description\":\"World News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png\",\"width\":581,\"height\":581,\"caption\":\"World News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2\",\"name\":\"News\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024's shortest day. Here's what to know about the official start of winter. - World News","description":"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024's shortest day. Here's what to know about the official start of winter. - World News","og_description":"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.","og_url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/","og_site_name":"World News","article_published_time":"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf","type":"","width":"","height":""},{"url":"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf","width":1920,"height":998,"type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/"},"author":{"name":"News","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2"},"headline":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#8217;s shortest day. Here&#8217;s what to know about the official start of winter.","datePublished":"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/"},"wordCount":711,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","articleSection":["Science"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/","name":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024's shortest day. Here's what to know about the official start of winter. - World News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-24T00:20:34+00:00","description":"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, and is marked with traditions and celebrations around the world.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1","width":1200,"height":630},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/today-is-the-winter-solstice-and-2024s-shortest-day-heres-what-to-know-about-the-official-start-of-winter\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Today is the winter solstice and 2024&#8217;s shortest day. Here&#8217;s what to know about the official start of winter."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","name":"World News","description":"World News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#organization","name":"World News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/01\/cropped-download.png","width":581,"height":581,"caption":"World News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/#\/schema\/person\/1d8ae7348e048cb7984f26b4dd818ff2","name":"News","url":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1","medium_large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=768&resize=768,0&ssl=1","large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1024&resize=1024,1024&ssl=1","1536x1536":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1536&resize=1536,1536&ssl=1","2048x2048":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=2048&resize=2048,2048&ssl=1","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=392&resize=392,272&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=390&resize=390,205&ssl=1","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=130&resize=130,90&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=800&resize=800,445&ssl=1","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1400&resize=1400,600&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-block-extra-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1155&resize=1155,480&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=600&resize=600,417&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-small-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=285&resize=285,450&ssl=1","colormag-elementor-grid-medium-large-thumbnail":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=575&resize=575,198&ssl=1"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"News","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The 2024 winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, happens on Saturday, Dec. 21, in the Northern Hemisphere. The","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Science"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":31,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=1200&resize=1200,630&ssl=1",1200,630,false],"medium":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1",300,300,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com\/hub\/i\/r\/2024\/12\/20\/bc07b626-d9d1-4d24-b59e-0eabdb81d125\/thumbnail\/1200x630\/9c5ff75fc242a3a99df1bc5d841e2724\/gettyimages-1237376150.jpg?v=e306e7b9fefc168c00baa623d76d1eaf&w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1",150,150,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"News","author_link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/author\/admin\/"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e85cf08852547781a5f631f3713dbb5197ed4b54e32ae19c7d5769b8c8504897?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-38\">Science<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}