When is the shortest night in summer? When is the shortest day of the year? How long does it last?

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st (or the 20th in leap year). In the Southern Hemisphere, this day is located at the opposite point of the calendar, December 21 or 22 (in a leap year). When the day is the longest of the year, then the daylight hours last the longest and short night. Closer to the North the Sun does not set at all, and at the North Pole June 21 (20) is the middle polar day(which lasts six months).

On this day it happens summer solstice. Every year it falls on different time during the day. Solstice is when the Sun, which, starting from December 21 (22), every day rises a little higher above the horizon at the moment of true noon, finally reaches its peak. It can no longer rise higher. After that, it rises lower and lower every day until it freezes at the lowest point of the day. winter solstice.

Traditions on Solstice Day

Solstice Day was a special holiday for many peoples, dedicated to the Sun. It was celebrated by all peoples in whose pantheon there was a solar deity. The pyramids of the South American Indians are known, with their edges oriented to the position of the Sun on that day. The most famous megaliths related to cyclical astronomical events, including the solstice, are Stonehenge.

At the solstice, the Slavs celebrated the day of Kupala - the son of the goddess of the night time of the day, Bathing Lady and the god of fire and hearth, Simargl. Welcome to Slavic lands Christianity holiday, like many other days of pagan holidays, was replaced by the day of John the Baptist. Well, from the fusion of pagan and Christian folk views arose that holiday, which we know well today as one of the most colorful and rich in rituals national holidays: Ivan Kupala Day.

After the old style of the calendar was replaced by a new one in the 20th century, Midsummer's Day began to be celebrated on July 7, having forgotten where the tradition of the holiday came from. But it is correct to celebrate it not on a strictly fixed date, but when it is the longest day of the year.

There are many beliefs associated with this day. It is believed that you need to jump over the fire on Ivan Kupala to cleanse yourself of evil. Girls float wreaths on the water - telling fortunes about their betrothed. And those who are not timid can look in the forest for the color of fern, which reveals treasures. But you need to be very careful: during Bathing Week, Mavkas (mermaids) dance and can tickle an unwary person to death.

Winter Solstice Day December 21-22. Holiday Yol

December 21 and 22 are the most short days per year. From 21 to 22 December is the longest night.

On December 21, the Sun will be at its lowest point. Southern Hemisphere sky, that is, moving along the ecliptic, it will reach its lowest declination - 23 degrees 26.457 minutes (in the constellation Sagittarius) and astronomical winter will begin.

Winter Solstice Day December 21-22 is the antagonist of the summer solstice. In winter it is the day of the longest night.

Winter solstice dates for the coming years:

2016: December 21 10:44 am GMT (December 21, 14:44 Moscow)

2017: December 21 16:28 m. GMT

2018:December 21, 10:23 p.m. GMT

Yule - This is the holiday of the winter solstice from the eve of the winter solstice and all these 13 nights from the day of the winter solstice (December 21-22).

3 days before the solstice and three days after are considered the most magical.

The longest night of the year and the shortest day. The Yule holiday marks another turning of the wheel of the year, the return of strength. This holiday marks the moment of the birth of the Sun. Starting from Yule, the length of the day increases, and light gradually begins to prevail over darkness. It refers to the holidays of balance; it is one of the four main astronomically calculated points of the annual wheel.

Time for meditation, discovering new abilities in yourself. During the period from December 19 to 24, it is good to analyze achievements, discard the old, and get rid of the unnecessary.

This time is also called the “Days of the Snake,” when the Sun passes the thirteenth constellation Ophiuchus. New Year and Christmas are direct descendants of pagan celebrations; for example, the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree goes back to the cult of the World Tree and fertility rites. In many religions, the birth of God occurred precisely during the renewal of the power of the Sun.

The night preceding the day of the Solstice is called Modranecht, mother's night, the night of mothers, the mother of all nights, since it is believed that it is on this night that the Goddess gives birth to a young solar God - a baby, personifying the principle of the birth of life from death, or order emerging from chaos.

That same night, the newborn God of the bright part of the year begins a battle with the old king, his father, for the right to remain in the world of the living, and after a dozen days and nights he defeats him, and with his victory the bright half of the year begins.

On these very twelve days and nights after Yule, while the battle was going on between the two kings, they used to guess about the future (for the twelve coming months) - this is both a Slavic and Western European tradition. The day coming after Mother's Night was considered the “day of fate”: everything that was done and said on this day before sunset determined the events of the entire coming year.

The twelfth night (actually the thirteenth, if you take into account Modranecht) was considered a kind of culmination of the “fortune-telling days” - and there were no more accurate dreams, predictions, and signs than those revealed on this night. Twelfth Night is the time of words, and every word spoken on this day has special meaning. It is believed that a vow or oath made on the twelfth night is inviolable, and the words of spells and incantations are more effective than ever.

Rituals in This time is aimed at accelerating the arrival of the Sun and the renewal of Nature. Holiday colors: black, green, white, gold, silver.

Symbols: pentacle, cold iron, stone, fire. Stones: bloodstone, ruby, cat's eye, serpentine, emerald, diamond.

On Yule, agrarian rituals are often held to return the fertility saved by people. fruit trees- pies filled with fruits collected from them in the fall are hung on the branches of trees in orchards and a ritual libation of wine (cider) is made. “Returning fertility” to the fields is carried out much later. By the way, decorating a Yule tree has approximately the same meaning: the branches of a living and green tree are decorated with baked goods, ritual figurines and balls symbolizing future fruits.

In addition, on Yule ritual bonfire is lit R, as a symbol of the disappearance of the dark half of the year in the fire of the newborn sun, they helped the young sun to get stronger after birth, “fed” him, added strength to him.

This fire also has a powerful cleansing power.

Yule is celebrated cheerfully and noisily, the stronger the general joy, the brighter and higher the fire of the ritual fire, the greater the hubbub - the greater the likelihood that the celebrating people will help ward off all the evil that could interfere with the birth of the young God. It is very important to wait for dawn this night (especially if the night was starry and the morning was clear) and greet the newborn Sun.

Winter Solstice Day - December 22

What does this day mean?

Even in ancient times, this day was considered very important. Will there be a harvest? This was the main concern. This became clear precisely on this day. If the trees were covered with frost on December 22, then people rejoiced because the harvest would be rich. And this means that life will be satisfying and happy.

December 22 is the day on which, during pagan times, Karachun, the deity of death, was especially revered. It was it that commanded the winter elements, sending snowstorms, blizzards, and cold to the earth. It shortened the days, and the connecting rod bears, who cannot sleep in winter, were its faithful servants. If they wanted, then the winter became long and cold. But as soon as the bear turns over on the other side in the den, then spring is just around the corner. Our ancestors firmly believed that great things were happening right now. life purpose Sun: a new one is born to replace the old, and three days before and after this important event so energetically charged that even one’s own destiny will turn, changing in a different direction, and everything will start from scratch.

Traditions and customs of the winter solstice

To help the sun gain strength, people lit numerous fires. Hot wheels, reminiscent of a luminary, were launched along the ground, helping it rise higher in the sky. Be sure to bake a loaf - a prototype of the Sun. And in order to drive away the annoying cold winter, they made snow women, which meant the snowy season, and smashed them with snowballs.

The Slavs of pagan times celebrated the New Year on the day of the solstice, knowing that the forces of light had finally won and the best time had come. This day was given such importance in Rus' that even the headman, responsible for the timely running of the clock, came to the tsar, bringing the good news: the time has come when there will be more bright days. And indeed it was such good news that they gave money for it.

Other nations rejoiced at the solstice too. The Chinese were sure: now the male force of nature, which had been dormant all winter, had come to life, and a renewed life path. Therefore, they tried to bring gifts to the god of the sky, on which the sun lives, and on December 22 they prepared porridge from rice and beans, asking illnesses and evil spirits to bypass their homes.

In Great Britain, the longest night of the year was spent dancing, lively songs, and having fun. People believed that a lot of jokes great mood They will do everything to make the problems go away. The Scots smeared barrels with resin, set them on fire and rolled them through towns and villages, calling them the solstice. Now this day is not given such importance, but the soul is already singing in anticipation of the coming spring.

June 21 is not just the day when the Sun will stay in the sky the longest of the year. You can do a lot of useful things on this day, because, according to astrologers, it has special energy.

According to some astrology analysts, the upcoming summer solstice will not be the most favorable. Read about how to conduct it, how to attract good luck and how to improve energy on June 21 in our previously published article.

Longest day in 2016

There are two types of solstice - summer and winter. In winter, this day is the longest night, and in summer it is the shortest. This happens because the Earth is tilted at a certain degree relative to the Sun.

To make it easier to understand, imagine that you are looking at a switched-on flashlight from the side. It shines unevenly: somewhere you will see almost nothing under your feet, but somewhere, on the contrary, you will see everything. The Earth, as it were, hides or substitutes certain areas of its “body” under the lantern-Sun. On June 20 it will shine the longest, because our planet will stand at a convenient angle.

Solstice is the fixed position of the Earth relative to the Sun. The day will begin to wane, starting at 01:34 am on June 22, and the Earth will slowly begin to turn its gaze away from the Sun.

Magic day June 21

For thousands of years, our ancestors believed that on this day white rituals became stronger. The power of the Sun increases to the limit and charges people with positive energy. It also helps open channels of abundance that fill people with goodness, fortitude and good fortune.

On this day they are more likely to be fulfilled cherished desires. To make your dreams come true, read the article about the energy of desires. The described techniques and tips will help you achieve everything you want on the day of the Solstice.

Rituals and rituals on June 21:

• On this day it is much more productive and more precisely fortune telling on Tarot cards, as well as other ways of predicting the future. Prophetic dreams, which you may dream about on the nights of the 20th to the 21st and from the 21st to the 22nd, are more likely to come true than usual.
• If you have long wanted to make a talisman, today best time for this idea. Charging existing talismans will also be more successful than usual.
• Healing herbs collected on June 21 will be much stronger than on other days. They can be collected and left for the future - they will not lose their power over time.
• Healing rituals will be especially productive on this day.

Many centuries ago, the summer solstice was celebrated very vigorously. People believed in the power of the Sun and tried to attract good luck into their lives with certain traditions. The ancient Celts celebrated this day with ritual fires - huge bonfires. Now, of course, almost all the main traditions have been lost and buried, but among the Scots to this day June is considered energetically best month for marriage.

Astrological forecast for June 21

June 20 is a full moon day, which has an extremely negative effect on solar activity. The Moon and Sun on the 21st will be in strong dissonance, so we can expect various changes in both mood and business. Top tip astrologers is to try on this day to go towards your goals and not stray from the given path.

21 December 2017 - date (when, what date is the holiday)

December 21 or 22 is the shortest day of the year, followed by the longest night. But this is if we are talking about the northern hemisphere, in which we live. For astronomers, this is the beginning of winter, although optimists, on the contrary, quite rightly believe that since the winter solstice everyone is slowly but surely approaching summer. After all, from the next morning the day will begin to arrive a little.

Among the Chinese, the winter solstice is considered a happy time because it represents the masculine power of nature and the beginning of a new annual cycle. And the ancient Slavs celebrated their New Year and the Birthday of the Sun on this day. The pie that was baked on this day resembled the same Sun in shape. A huge fire was lit, the flames of which, flying high, called on the sun to begin its work.

Winter solstice!
Rejoice, people, rather,
The shortest day will end
Tomorrow it will be brighter!

And minute by minute, grain by grain,
spring will come,
The bright time will grow,
Let's start waking up easier!

So spend it properly
This day is the shortest!
And if you are frozen, I advise
Have a glass of vodka!

Winter solstice,
The long-awaited one has arrived.
It is full of mystical magic
Here you need to perform a ritual.

Today forgive and throw away
You are a big negative soul.
Go towards only joy,
Opening your heart for happiness.

When winter covered with snow,
And the day became very short,
Solstice winter day
Hugs those who are tired:

The night can't be longer
What on this wonderful, wonderful day,
Let everyone rest today
Who is too lazy to work!

This day is the shortest
Happy very long night.
Soon the light will return
In a world of empowerment.

Let hopes bloom
Reborn to life,
Let the snow snow from the top
They leave without saying goodbye.

Let the sadness and anxiety go away
Along with the black night.
The road will be bright
And the soul is calm.

The shortest day of the year
The night is long, full of anticipation,
A new sun is born
On the day of the winter solstice.

I hasten to congratulate you,
Meet the miracle of nature,
With funny jokes, with a song
Swap day and night.

Life will go in a new circle,
Minutes add a day,
Joy, happiness, love
I wish you a happy holiday.

Winter solstice -
Summer meets winter,
May it never end
Rapid earthly schedule.

Happy holiday to you today
I want to wish you now,
Warmth, kindness, understanding
Always keep it in your heart.

We are meeting Karachun now,
We celebrate the solstice
The day is surprisingly short
I wish you fabulous weather!

Let the shining snow sparkle,
Frost falls on the branches again,
But the warmth does not leave,
It blooms beautifully in the soul!

Day today is equal to night,
It will be light longer
I want the solstice
It only brought you joy.

Let a new cycle open
A series of big victories
Even winter sun this
Let everyone be warm.

Today the night is longer than the day,
Kolyada is in a hurry to visit us,
Accept my congratulations,
I wish your dreams come true!

I wish you a snowy winter,
Let your hopes come true
May happiness come to your home,
And all the bad things will go away!

Karachun crawls out of the hole
And diligently lengthens the night,
The bear storms are raging again,
Small children are scared of them!

Know that this winter cold will pass,
In spring the snow will turn into puddles,
It's the middle of winter,
So there is a reason to have fun!

Congratulations: 35 in verse.