Everything You Need to Know About the Winter Solstice From astronomy to religion, the year's shortest day brings enduring mysteries. The Northern Hemisphere's procession of dwindling days is about to reach its nadir. The winter solstice is the year's shortest day, but the start of winter also launches the sun's steady climb towards the long, warm days of summer. The solstice occurs on Tuesday, December 22 at 4:48 UTC—that's late Monday night across most of North America. It happens … [Read more...]