The winter solstice is happening on December 21st this year. It is when half of the Earth gets tilted, causing it to be further from the sun. This day is the shortest day of the year because the daytime is shorter. The Northern Hemisphere has the sun farthest to the south and the Southern Hemisphere has the sun farthest to the north. In ancient times, many countries have built monuments to honor the winter solstice. For instance, Egypt built the temple of Karnak, Ireland built the Newgrange, Mexico built the El Castillo, and Peru built the Temple of the Sun. The word “solstice” originates from the Latin words “sol” and “sistere”. These words mean “sun” and “to stand still”. There are also some national parks people can visit that have a great view of the winter solstice. The Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in Alaska shows when the sun is out for two hours. The sky lights up and the clouds form closer together. The Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado also creates a beautiful landscape full of snow and mountains with tall trees. The winter solstice is almost here!

Photo Credit: Miko Fox Photography