Ancient History of Winter Solstice Traditions and Sites

The winter solstice, falling in December in the Northern hemisphere and June in the Southern hemisphere, is the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice, also referred to as ‘midwinter’ is associated with the idea of rebirth of both the sun and the new year, and after the shortest day, the days get a bit longer, and a bit brighter. The movement of the sun and the skies in general have been monitored by humanity for a long, long time, all around the world, especially since tracking the sun and the seasons was imperative for crop growth and agriculture. We’re not entirely sure for just how long humans have recognised the winter solstice as a turning point, but we know it was important for heralding in the new sun or sun god for the next year. The concept of rebirth inspired the festive practice of role-reversal best seen in the festivities of Saturnalia in Rome where the role of slave and master would reverse and, earlier, in Mesopotamian civilizations. The solstice observances, c