Uzbekistan welcomes the winter solstice – today marks the shortest day of 2024.

This year, the moment of the winter solstice occurs at 09:20:30 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In Uzbekistan, it took place at 14:20 Tashkent time. The day will last only 9 hours in the country.

The winter solstice is a significant event that marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun rises in the southeast, reaches its lowest point at noon above the horizon, and sets in the southwest, tracing the shortest arc across the sky. For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, this signifies the onset of astronomical summer, with daylight gradually increasing.

In the northern latitudes, beyond the Arctic Circle, the polar night continues today— a unique phenomenon where the sun does not rise above the horizon. In Murmansk, Russia, for example, it lasts from December 2 to January 10, peaking around the solstice days. On the opposite side of the planet, in Antarctica, the polar day prevails during this time, with the sun remaining above the horizon for 24 hours.

It is worth noting that the first calculations of the winter solstice date were made by Julius Caesar, who established December 25 as a reference point in the Julian calendar. However, over time, due to inaccuracies in calculations, the dates shifted. In 1582, the Gregorian calendar fixed the solstice on December 21-22.

Many cultures have their own traditions for this time. For instance, Slavs in ancient times celebrated this day as the birth of the new sun. People would light bonfires, sing carols, tell fortunes, and host feasts to ward off dark forces and help the sun be reborn. Traditionally, on this day, people would make wishes, write them down on paper, and burn them, believing that they would surely come true.