How many days is the longest night? The shortest day of the year: new life begins on the solstice. Equinox and Solstice

Surely each of you at least once wondered when the shortest and longest day of the year happens. In fact, the answer to this question is very simple and has been known for a long time. By the way, this phenomenon even has its own name - solstice day.

Types of solstice

There are two types of solstices - summer and winter, in which the longest and shortest daylight hours are observed on the surface of the planet, respectively. As for the winter solstice, it occurs in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and occurs on either December 21 or 22 - the length of daylight hours is only 5 hours 53 minutes, after which it begins to increase. Accordingly, the longest night is observed on the same day. The summer solstice can be observed on one of three days - June 20, 21 or 22, it lasts 17 hours 33 minutes, after which the days begin to become shorter and the nights longer.

Solstice Traditions

Interestingly, different traditions are associated with both of these events. For example, in Russia, as well as in some other countries, there was a popular holiday called “Kalyada”, dedicated to the shortest day of the year - it was traditionally dedicated to Christmastide and Christmas. It all started in the family home, where the eldest in the family baked bread, served kutya and porridge, pies, pretzels, and animal figures made from wheat dough. By the way, it was also customary for the latter to decorate the premises and present them to neighbors and loved ones. Only the elders could talk at the table, while the younger ones could only listen and wait until they had the opportunity to go outside and start caroling - this is a ritual of visiting houses, in which a group of participants sings benevolent songs addressed to the owners of the houses, for which they were entitled to tasty food. treat.

As for the summer solstice, even more interesting things are known about it. Thus, historians claim that even the ancient Egyptians knew about the longest day of the year, who built their huge pyramids in such a way that the sun would set neatly between the two of them (they say that this phenomenon can be seen if you look at the pyramids from the side of the Sphinx) .

About Stonehenge and the longest day

It is also common to associate the famous Stonehenge, a British building located 130 kilometers from London, with the summer solstice. They say that it was built with an eye on the longest day of the year - only then the sun rises above the Hillstone stone, which is located separately from the main circle of stones.

Be that as it may, in the modern world, the days of the solstices do not have the importance that our ancestors attached to them. However, modern pagans consider them holidays and invariably celebrate them.

In 2017, the winter solstice begins on December 21 at 19:28 Moscow time, when the Sun enters 0° of the zodiac sign Capricorn. In Bishkek it will be 22:28.

According to signs, what the weather will be like today will be the same on December 31st. , then it is quite possible that New Year’s Eve for Kyrgyzstanis will be snowy.

The daylight hours will last 6 hours 51 minutes, the night of December 22 will last 17 hours 9 minutes. After this, astronomical spring will begin in the Northern Hemisphere - daylight hours will begin to increase.

Solstice occurs twice a year - in summer and winter. This is an astronomical event - the Sun on this day is at its greatest angular distance from the equator, and, accordingly, its altitude is minimum for one hemisphere of the Earth and maximum for the other. This leads to phenomena such as the longest and shortest daylight hours of the year.

The phenomenon received its name because of the position of the Sun in the sky - for several days at noon the luminary is at one constant height - standing, hence the solstice. The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere usually falls on December 20, 21 or 22, which is the shortest day of the year.

Celebration traditions

Many peoples of the world associated the winter solstice with the coming rebirth; it was believed that the longest night was before dawn. On this occasion, holidays, rituals and other celebrations were held, for which special structures were often built - Stonehenge in Britain and Newgrange in Ireland are oriented along the visual line indicating the sunrise on the day of the winter solstice.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on this day, better known as Kolyada, the Germanic peoples celebrated Yule, and the Romans, until the 3rd century, celebrated Sol Invictus. People lit a ritual fire from oak or pine, which symbolized the rebirth of the Sun. The main decoration of the festive table was a sun-shaped loaf.

In Scotland, there was a custom to launch a solar wheel - “solstice”: a barrel was coated with burning resin and launched down the street. The wheel symbolized the sun, its spokes resembled rays, and the rotation of the spokes during movement made the wheel look like a luminary.

In Christian churches that have switched to the Gregorian calendar, the Nativity of Christ is celebrated on these days. Orthodoxy uses the Julian calendar, according to which the date of Christmas coincided with the winter solstice two thousand years ago, but has now shifted later by half a month.

Signs

The winter solstice, also called the winter solstice festival, is a very important and revered day for many cultures. There are many signs associated with this day.

• Some nature observers claim that the winter solstice is the coldest day of the entire winter.
• People say that whatever the weather is like on the day of the winter solstice, the same will happen on December 31st.
• If frost appears on the trees on this day, then next year there will be a good grain harvest.
• There is a saying at the winter solstice: The sun is for summer, winter is for frost.
• The weather on this day was used to judge the upcoming harvest. For example, frost on trees on the winter solstice means a rich grain harvest.

Magical rituals of the winter solstice

This is a great day to do a meditation to commemorate new beginnings and projects. If you are planning something new, take time on this day, because winter solstice meditations are especially powerful.

The winter solstice is a good day for those who are engaged in spiritual self-development; it inspires the opening of spiritual spaces and reveals past lives.

The day is suitable for rituals to fulfill desires. If you have a cherished wish, make it on the day of the rebirth of the Sun.

They perform rituals of healing, prosperity, gaining strength and wisdom.

Winter solstice divination gives accurate results; Three Card Tarot divination, Tarot divination for love and Oracle are well suited.

As treats for the festive table on the day of the winter solstice, you can offer pork and lamb dishes, pies, fruits (apples, pears, bananas, etc.), nuts, juices, ginger tea.

The shortest day of the year is December 21 or 22 (depending on the shift in the calendar). It has a special name - “Winter Solstice Day”. This is the day of the shortest daylight (only 5 hours 53 minutes) and the longest night. From the next day, as you know, it begins to gradually increase. In scientific terms, this is due to the fact that the inclination of the Earth’s axis of rotation relative to the Sun takes on its maximum value.

In many cultures, this day has always been a significant event, always associated with rebirth. For example, in primitive culture, the beginning of the Solstice was not exactly a joyful day; it was more associated with the beginning of famine. Because primitive people did not really know how much supplies they needed to prepare for cold times. In the Early Middle Ages it was a holiday as beer and wine generally matured by mid-December.

Longest day of the year

The longest day of the year occurs on June 21 or 20. You've probably already noticed that it's light outside even at 11 p.m. True, then, as with the “winter” daylight hours, the daylight hours begin to gradually decrease, this becomes noticeable already in August.

In the modern world, the days of the winter and summer solstice are not a holiday, but many traditions have been preserved to this day. For example, the carols beloved by children were originally dedicated to December 20, only then they migrated to the post-Christmas weeks until Epiphany (January 19). In Ancient Egypt, the priests attached great importance to the summer solstice. In Russia, the holiday is better known as Ivan Kupala Day, when celebrants swim, jump over bonfires, tell fortunes and look for branches of ferns (which, according to legend, bloom on this holiday).

Observing the solstice is difficult because the sun moves slowly towards its point. Only recently have scientists begun to determine the exact time of an event down to the instant.

From this article you will learn when the summer and winter solstices, as well as the autumn and spring equinoxes, occur.

The shortest and longest days throughout the year are called solstice days, which are summer and winter, and the time when days and nights are equal is equinoxes, spring and autumn. Let's find out more about these days.

When, in what month in winter, will daylight hours begin to profit and begin to grow?

Mid-latitude winter solstice in Russia

The shortest day in winter is winter solstice– we’ll be there on December 21 or 22. On one of these days, the shortest day of the year, in the northern hemisphere, in the middle latitudes, it lasts 5 hours and 53 minutes, then the day will increase and the night will decrease.

The closer to the Arctic Circle, the shorter the day. Beyond the Arctic Circle, the sun may not appear at all at this time.

Attention. According to the old style, the winter solstice coincided with Christmas. In the old days, this time was highly revered: they decorated their home festively, prepared kutia from wheat, and baked pies and gingerbreads from the flour of the new harvest. For the New Year and Christmas holidays, they fed spring and summer animals (pig, calf) in order to slaughter them for the Christmastide and prepare delicious meat dishes.

At the equator, day all year round is the same in length as night (12 hours).

As for the southern hemisphere, everything is different there: when we, in the northern latitudes, have the winter solstice, they have the summer solstice.

This is interesting. The winter solstice was first established by Julius Caesar. This happened in 45 BC. Then this day was December 25th.

When, on what date, does the shortest day and the longest night of the year occur, and how long does it last?

The longest day at mid-latitude in Russia and Ukraine

The longest day occurring in a year ( summer solstice) occurs on June 20, but may occur on June 21 or 22 (depending on the shift in the calendar due to leap year). For Moscow, the length of the day is 17 hours 33 minutes, and then the days begin to get shorter and the nights longer.

How can we explain the summer solstice? This is the day when the sun reaches its highest point above the horizon at noon. After this day the sun begins to go down and this continues until December 21st or 22nd.

In ancient times, the following beliefs were associated with this day:

• At this time, healers collected medicinal herbs, since the greatest beneficial properties of plants are manifested right now.
• On the night after the summer solstice, the girls cast a spell on their betrothed, and he would certainly show up.
• From this day on, it was possible to swim in reservoirs, but previously it was prohibited, since, according to legend, devils sat in the water. From this day they left for a short time, until the holiday of Elijah (August 2).

Note. According to the old style, the summer solstice coincided with Midsummer's Day.

How much will daylight increase after December 22?

The shortest day in winter in central Russia

The shortest day is considered to be December 21 or 22, but in fact the next few days are the same length, and only on December 24-25 the day is added.

At first, the increase in day is imperceptible, since it increases by 1 minute, and then in the evening, and in the morning the sun rises even later, and then the increase in day is noticeable, and on March 20-22, the day becomes the same size as the night, about 12 hours.

Interesting. But on other planets of our Universe, the length of the day on some planets is similar to the Earth’s day, on others it is completely different. Length of day on other planets(in Earth hours):

• Jupiter – 9 o'clock
• Saturn - close to 10 o'clock
• Uranus - close to 13 o'clock
• Neptune - close to 15 o'clock
• Mars - 24 hours 39 minutes
• Mercury is close to 60 of our days
• Venus – our 243rd day

From what day do days become longer than nights?

Spring equinox in central Russia

After the day spring equinox, which occurs from March 20 to March 22 (differently each year, due to the leap days), the day becomes longer than the night.

The Slavs associate the holiday of the Forty Saints with the day of the spring equinox. On this day, birds (larks) were baked from butter dough, and they called out for spring, and with it, from distant lands, the first birds.

In many Asian countries (former Soviet republics in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran), the day of the vernal equinox is the New Year.

In Russia (middle latitude), people usually start from the days of the equinox and solstice. Countdown And time of year:

• Spring – from the 20th of March to the 20th of June
• Summer – from the 20th of June to the 20th of September
• Autumn – from the 20th of September to the 20th of December
• Winter – from the 20th of December to the 20th of March

When is the longest day and shortest night of the year, and how many days are they?

The longest day of the year in central Russia

The longest day in 2017 occurred on June 21. For several days, the days were just as long (17 hours 33 minutes), and from June 24 the days began to decrease.

When, from what date in the summer, will daylight hours begin to decrease?

The day has been decreasing since June 24

If we take data for Moscow, then the longest day was 17 hours 33 minutes.

For Moscow, the days will decrease in the following sequence:

• By the end of June, the day decreased by 6 minutes, and became 17 hours 27 minutes
• For July - by 1 hour 24 minutes, day length 16 hours 3 minutes
• For August - by 2 hours 8 minutes, the day lasts 13 hours 51 minutes
• Until the equinox (September 24), the day will shorten by 1 hour 45 minutes, the length of the day will be 12 hours 2 minutes

When does the night become longer than the day?

Autumn equinox day occurs from September 21 to 23, when the day is the same length as the night, about 12 hours. After this day, the night begins to increase and the day decreases.

After the equinox, the length of the day decreases even more:

• At the end of September the day lasts 11 hours 35 minutes
• During October, the day will decrease by 2 hours 14 minutes, and at the end of the month it will be 9 hours 16 minutes
• During November, the day decreases less intensively, by 1 hour 44 minutes, the length of the day is 7 hours 28 minutes
• Until the winter solstice (December 21), the day will decrease by 28 minutes, the length of the day will be 7 hours, and the night will be 17 hours.

It is noteworthy that on days equal in length to the nights (autumn and spring equinoxes), the sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west.

So, we found out when the longest and shortest days of the year are.

Video: Days of solstices and equinoxes

With the arrival of spring, it becomes noticeable that the sun rises higher and higher above the horizon at noon and later disappears behind it in the evening. Finally, at the beginning of summer, the luminary reaches its highest point - the summer solstice arrives. The date of the longest day of the year varies by hemisphere and year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, if there are 365 days in the year, and on June 21, if there are 366. And in the Southern Hemisphere, in a leap year, the longest day will occur on December 22, and in a normal year, on December 21.

After the longest day comes the shortest night. According to old Slavic beliefs, it was a magical time: the powers of useful plants increased many times over, and grooms were certainly shown to bewitching girls. Swimming before this day was strictly prohibited, as it was believed that in the water. On the summer solstice, the devils left the water until the beginning of August, so they swam and doused themselves with water all day.

When pagan traditions were supplanted by Christian ones, this holiday was named the Day of John the Baptist. And since John baptized by immersion in water, it turned out to be the day of Ivan Kupala. Planted on the fertile soil of ancient beliefs, the holiday took root and has survived to this day like a dousing.

In the old calendar, the summer solstice and Midsummer's day coincided, but according to the new style, the holiday shifted to July 7.

Winter solstice

After the summer solstice the day begins. Gradually the Sun reaches its lowest point of rise. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year occurs in December on the 21st or 22nd, and in the Southern Hemisphere on June 20 or 21, depending on whether it is a leap year or not. After the longest night, the countdown begins - now the day will begin to increase until the summer solstice, and after it, it will decrease again to the winter one.

The winter solstice was celebrated in primitive communities, when before the long winter people slaughtered all the cattle they could not feed and had a feast. Later, this day received a different meaning - the awakening of life. The most famous solstice holiday is the medieval Yule among the Germanic peoples. On the night after which the sun begins to rise higher, fires were lit in the fields, crops and trees were blessed, and cider was brewed.

In Greek mythology, Hades, the ruler of the underworld, was allowed to visit Olympus only two days a year - on the summer and winter solstice.

Later, Yule merged with the celebration of Christmas, adding pagan traditions to Christian traditions - for example, kissing under the mistletoe.