Winter Solstice

Today, December 21, 2025 is the Winter Solstice.  Well, technically that is only true for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  Just as importantly, today is officially the first day of winter.  I have to tell you though, it's felt like winter here in Chicago for at least a month!

From a scientific standpoint, the Winter Solstice marks the exact moment when the Earth's axis tilts the farthest away from the Sun.  Because less sunlight reaches Earth, the winter solstice is also the day of the year with the least amount of daytime, known as the shortest day of the year (see the Figure below).

That exact moment varies from year to year, but the Winter Solstice generally occurs at some point between December 21st to December 23rd.  This year, the Winter Solstice occurred exactly at 9:03 AM Central Time.

Winter Solstice is culturally significant as well.  Throughout history, humans have celebrated Winter Solstice in unique ways.  The day marks the point on the calendar when the days start to become longer again, and so it was celebrated as a spiritual rebirth of the Sun.  Various traditions to celebrate the Winter Solstice that have been passed down from history, include hanging evergreen decorations, lighting candles or burning a Yule log (hence, "Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir"), and feasting.  Notably, in ancient Rome, December 25th was celebrated as the Winter Solstice, or the spiritual rebirth of the Sun.  It is no mere coincidence that early Christians chose December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (hence, Christmas, which literally means "Christ's Mass").

Victor Hugo wrote in his classic Les Miserables, "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."  These words also appear in the musical, during the Finale:

Do you hear the people sing?

Lost in the valley of the night

It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light

For the wretched of the earth

There is a flame that never dies

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

Hugo's words are a message of hope.  So too, the Winter Solstice.  We've made it through the darkness!  The days are going to start getting longer again, and Spring is just around the corner.  Even though we still have to make it through all of winter (it literally just started today), it's an important time for us all to sit back and reflect on where we have been, and more importantly, where we are going.  And to look at our collective future, with a renewed sense of Hope.