Which countries celebrate the winter solstice?

Different countries of the world, especially those that are in the Northern Hemisphere, usually experience the shortest day of the year, and at the same time, the longest night of the year in December. Winter solstice is experienced by countries in the Southern Hemisphere in June every year. This experience is a result of the unequal level of sunlight, which both the Southern and Northern Hemisphere get as the earth orbits the Sun.

However, while winter solstice is purely a natural occurrence, countries like China, Ireland, India, England, and so many others, have attributed a lot of things to it so much that they celebrate it. Most of these countries have different kinds of reasons why they celebrate the winter solstice. Some of these countries believe that there is a spiritual implication to the winter solstice, while other countries celebrate it because they see it as a sign which announces the birth of another season.

The Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans all observed the winter solstice in ancient times. Modern-day people generally acknowledge the solstice as Christmas time. Winter solstice celebrations and traditions are rooted in a combination of ancient and Christian mythology. Many countries celebrate in different ways.

These countries include Mongolia, Greece, Egypt, Rome, Scandinavia, India, Iran, East Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Many festivals take place around the world, from bonfires, good food, music, and poetry (which is used symbolically to celebrate the sun). Irrespective of where you live, the solstice transpires at the same moment for everyone on the planet.

The winter solstice is so special because it marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the earth. This brief moment is of great significance in many countries, cultures, and traditions. Some countries that celebrate the winter solstice include England, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Japan, and Iran.

In England, The Stonehenge of giant rocks located in Wiltshire, England, which was built around 3000 BC to 2000 BC, is a famous place for the celebration of the winter solstices. The rebirth of the Sun is celebrated. In New Zealand, the tomb shaped stone called “Newgrange” was discovered by archaeologists. During the solstice, the sun’s rays travel across a 19-meter-long (about 62-foot) passageway. To visit this site, people participate in the annual lottery, so they can gather around the Newgrange to watch the sun.

Some may refer to winter solstice as midwinter, but for a lot of people, the winter solstice is actually the beginning of winter. For the year 2019, this is going to happen on December 22. There are different celebrations that are done all over the world to celebrate this event. Peru celebrates this because they believe that this is the coming of their Incan god.

The people in Nothern, Arizona also celebrate this event, and they call it Soyal. They believe that by doing this, they will call on the spirits of the mountain that can help protect them a lot. Iran also celebrates the Winter Solstice through a festival that they call Yalda. They have been doing this celebration since ancient times.