How long will the shortest night last? The shortest night of the year: how long, customs, holidays. General information from history

Incredible facts

From 21 to 22 December, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the shortest day and the longest night. This phenomenon is called the winter solstice.

The winter solstice marks the beginning of an astronomical winter.

What happens during the winter solstice, when this date falls, and what traditions exist on this day.

Here are the 10 most interesting facts about the shortest day of the year.

What is the date of the winter solstice in 2018

The date of the winter solstice changes from year to year and can fall from December 20 to 23, but most often it occurs on December 21 or 22.

The reason is that the tropical year - the time it takes for the Sun to return to the same point relative to the Earth - is different from the calendar year. The next winter solstice, which falls on December 20, will occur in 2080, and on December 23 only in 2303.

Winter solstice in 2018 falls on December 21 at 22:23 UTC ( December 22 at 1:23 am MSK).

2. Winter solstice occurs at a certain short moment

The winter solstice occurs not only on a certain day, but also at a certain time of the day, when the angle of inclination of the Earth's axis relative to the Sun is 23.5 degrees. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is at its lowest above the horizon, and beyond the polar circle, the sun does not even rise above the horizon.

As the winter solstice approaches, daytime shortens, and after that it gradually lengthens. The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night in the northern hemisphere.

So, for example, in Moscow the length of the day during the winter solstice will be 7h 0m 20secup from 17h 33m 40s during the summer solstice. In Helsinki, Finland, the day will last 5 hours 49 minutes, and in Murmansk there will be no sunrise at all - there you can observe the polar night.

4. Ancient cultures considered the winter solstice a time of death and rebirth

The seeming loss of light and the real threat of starvation during the winter months has been a heavy burden in many cultures. Therefore, at this time, various holidays were often organized, calling for the return of the Sun and hope for a new life.

During the rituals, fires were lit and cattle sacrificed, after which a feast was held with dishes from the last fresh meat. In the tradition of the Druids, the death of the old Sun and the birth of a new Sun were revered.

5. The day is marked by new and unusual discoveries

Interestingly, on this day in 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium, which marked the beginning of the atomic era. And on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 was launched, when humans first entered circumlunar orbit and reached the Moon.

6. The word "solstice" is translated as "the sun stands motionless"

This is due to the position of the Sun in the sky relative to the horizon at noon, which rises or falls throughout the year, and seems to stop at the solstice.

We are currently looking at this phenomenon in terms of cosmic location. In ancient times, people thought about the trajectory of the Sun, how long it stood in the sky, and what kind of light it threw.

7. Stonehenge is aligned with the sunset on the winter solstice

For a long time, for many people, the famous Stonehenge monument was a kind of sundial. Its main axis aimed at sunset, while another Newgrange monument points to the line of the rising sun at the winter solstice.

Although the purpose of this ancient structure is still a matter of controversy, it still holds great significance during the winter solstice, gathering many people from all over the world to celebrate the occasion.

Winter solstice festival

8. The ancient Romans celebrated the role-reversal holiday - Saturnalia

At this time, they arranged the holiday of Saturnalia, when everything turned upside down. Social roles changed, masters served slaves, and slaves were allowed to insult their masters. The holiday was named after the god Saturn, the patron saint of agriculture.

Wearing masks and pretending was also part of Saturnalia, where a king of revelry was elected in every house. Over time, Saturnalia was replaced by Christmas, although many of its traditions in the west migrated to Christmas.

9. Many believed that during the winter solstice dark spirits walk on the earth

The ancient Iranian festival of Yalda, celebrated on the longest night of the year, heralded the birth of the ancient sun god and his victory over darkness.

The Zoroastrians believed that evil spirits roamed the earth that day. People tried to spend most of the night in each other's company, had feasts, conversations, told stories and poems in order to avoid any collisions with dark entities.

The presence of evil spirits on the longest night is also mentioned in Celtic and Germanic folklore.

10. During the 2012 winter solstice, the end of the world was foretold

December 21, 2012 corresponds to the date 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar used by the ancient Maya. It marked the end of the 5126-year cycle. Many believed that such a combination of circumstances would lead to the end of the world or another cataclysm.

Everyone knows that at the time of the solstice, the height of the celestial body above the horizon is maximum or minimum exactly at noon, at this moment the duration of the day or night is maximum. There are only two solstices in the year, this is in winter and summer, when the shortest day and the longest night are celebrated.

For a long time, people worshiped the sun and watched it, with the winter solstice there are various beliefs to this day. For example, it was judged by it about the future harvest.

When will be the shortest day and longest night in 2019?

In the next 2019, from the twenty-first (21.12) to the twenty-second (22.12) December, therefore, this day will be the shortest day, that is, the twenty-first of December (21.12) (the duration of which is seven hours without one minute).

What is the longest night?

On the longest night, darkness prevails and appears to be a gloomy darkness. The Slavs believed that this was a victory of darkness over light, but with dawn, light won. It was at this time that various ceremonies and rituals were carried out from ancient times, since it is considered the most favorable for changing oneself for the better. Also, the British believed that on this night you need to joke and laugh a lot, because they believed that having voiced the problems, after “Merry Night” they would definitely be solved.

How long is the longest night of the year?

Seventeen hours and one minute is the length of the longest night of the year (17 hours 1 minute).

With the arrival of spring, it becomes noticeable that the sun rises higher and higher above the horizon at noon and later hides behind it in the evening. Finally, at the beginning of summer, the luminary reaches its highest point - the summer solstice comes. 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 a year, and on June 21, if 366. And in the Southern Hemisphere in leap year the longest day is December 22nd and in a normal year December 21st.

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

When pagan traditions were supplanted by Christian ones, this holiday was called the day of John the Baptist. And since John baptized by dipping 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 as a douche.

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 ascent. In the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year occurs on December 21 or 22, 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 arrive until the summer solstice, and after that it will again decrease to the winter solstice.

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

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

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

Have you noticed that in winter, and especially in cold weather, life seems to freeze? Deserted streets, rare passers-by, wrapping themselves in collars, rush home, the birds do not sing, and only bare tree branches bend in the icy wind. The winter solstice, which is so short and usually cold, is considered a "deep freeze" day, when all life freezes. But it is on the night of December 22 that a slow growth and rebirth begins - minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, the new life will develop and grow stronger. The longest night of the year has a magical, if not ritualistic, meaning.

To begin with, you need to sit down and think carefully, on which of your true desires and dreams did you manage to "give up" and are firmly convinced that they will never come true?

Write them on paper and reread them again - "I want to marry Maxim Galkin, jump with a parachute, go to Tibet, meet Barack Obama, defend my doctoral dissertation in economics, learn Lao, lose 15 kilograms and compose a song." It turns out that all desires and dreams voiced on this longest night of the year have a real chance to come true, as the power of your dreams grows along with the reviving power of the Sun. Speak your dreams out loud, taste them, feel them on your skin. Do you really want THIS? Then go for it! Send a mental message to the Higher Forces, the forces of the Sun, and wait for your dreams to come true. A little more, and your desires will begin to "warm up", then "put down roots", and then "bloom", most likely by the day of the summer solstice. But keep in mind that to make your dreams come true, it's not enough just to want it very much on the night of December 22, you still need to make real efforts to achieve them and ... Do you really want to marry Maxim Galkin?

Some ancient peoples who inhabited Great Britain many centuries ago had such a custom - on the night of December 22, they laugh a lot, have fun and joke a lot. It was believed that all the problems voiced with laughter and jokes that night would be quickly and positively resolved next year. The ancients believed that the more fun on the longest night, the luckier the coming year would be. Nobody bothers us to test this theory of "ridiculing our own failures" in practice. Moreover, all psychologists say aloud that any problem disappears by itself as soon as we stop attaching excessive importance to it and start laughing at the problem or situation. "I broke up with my loved one, that's a hilarious thing, I have debts for a consumer loan in two banks, ha-ha-ha, and I also lost my job, hee-hee-hee" ... Something like this should be to look like. It is possible that at first the laughter will be hysterical and with tears in your eyes, but then it may well develop into healthy fun over your own failures.

Broke up with your loved one? - So, the time allotted to you by the heavenly office for coexistence has come to an end. Debts for loans? - It's good that not millions of debts and not in foreign currency. Lost your job? - So it was not your job and all the best is yet to come. It is also useful to remember that you have arms, legs, head, which means that ANY difficult situation can be overcome, the main thing is that you treat it easily and with humor.

The next ritual, associated with the longest night of the year, requires solitude and one red candle. In a dark room, all alone, take a candle in your hands and think about yourself cherished dreamwhich you now have. Get pregnant? Give birth to a healthy baby? To recover from a serious illness? Finish college? To find good work? Make peace with relatives? Meet your future husband? The dream should be the only one, but the most cherished dream, the realization of which the Higher Forces will not be ashamed to attract. Say the dream to yourself, then light a candle and say, "I welcome life and the generous light of the Sun." Then you should go to bed with complete confidence that everything you planned will come true.

It is categorically impossible to wish "that the moth ate Valka's mink coat" or "that Valera, who abandoned me, became impotent." The desire must be serious, conscious and bearing GOOD!

We spend so much time away from home, taking family for granted, something like our own ear or nose, that sometimes we do not even realize its full value. Native people are like an eternally existing design of our life, and against their background our brightest events, downs and ups, meetings and partings take place. And when the family suddenly disappears, everything else becomes completely unnecessary and unimportant. Career, money, hobbies, clothes, travel, rest - all this turns out to be just an application to the most important thing - to relatives. The longest night of the year makes it possible to bring the whole family together, even if someone on this night is on the opposite end of the Earth. Take photos of people close to you who are now far from you, invite those who are nearby to your house.

Sit down at the table together, light candles and wish your family all the best, happiness, health and good luck. And your desires, voiced aloud, will certainly come true.

Afterword.

The night of December 22 is so long that you can do a lot - to make peace with the one you are offended; meet someone you haven't seen for a long time; think over your desires ... And already with the first rays of the Sun, start to realize them!

December 21 (date indicated for 2016) is the day of the winter solstice. Solstice is one of two days of the year when the sun's height above the horizon at noon is at its minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer. Solstice is one of two days of the year when the sun's height above the horizon at noon is at its minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer. On the day of the winter solstice, the sun rises to its lowest height above the horizon.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21st or 22nd, with the shortest day and longest night. The solstice is shifted annually, since the length of the solar year does not coincide with the calendar time.

In 2016, the day of the winter solstice will happen on December 21 at 13:45 Moscow time

After the longest night of the year, which will last for about 17 hours, a real astronomical winter will come. The sun will descend as much as possible into the southern hemisphere of the sky, that is, moving along the ecliptic, will reach its lowest declination. The length of the day at the latitude of Moscow will be 7 hours. The sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic. This means that after crossing the celestial equator, the star will begin its path to the vernal equinox.

During the winter solstice, the sun does not rise at all above latitude 66.5 degrees - only twilight in these latitudes indicates that it is somewhere below the horizon. At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but also the twilight, and the location of the star can only be recognized by the constellations. On December 21, the sun crosses the 18 o'clock meridian and begins to climb up the ecliptic, starting the path towards the vernal equinox, when it crosses the celestial equator.

Winter solstice among the ancient Slavs

The winter solstice has been seen since ancient times. So, in Russian folklore a proverb is dedicated to this day: the sun is for the summer, winter is for the frost. Now the day will gradually increase and the night will decrease. By the winter solstice, they judged the future harvest: frost on the trees - to a rich grain harvest.

In the 16th century in Russia, an interesting rite was associated with the winter solstice. The bell-ringing headman of the Moscow cathedral, who was responsible for the striking of the clock, came to bow to the tsar. He reported that from now on the sun had turned for summer, the day was increasing, and the night was shortening. For this good news, the king gave the elder money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated pagan on the day of the winter solstice New Year, he contacted the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the celebration was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, was supposed to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's cake - a loaf - also resembled the sun in shape.

The day of pagan veneration of Karachun (Chernobog's middle name) falls on the day of the winter solstice (celebrated, depending on the year, from December 19 to December 22) - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun - the deity of death, the underground god who ruled the frosts, the evil spirit - took his power. The ancient Slavs believed that he rules over winter and frost and shortens the daytime.

Servants of the formidable Karachun are crank bears, in which snowstorms wrap, and wolf blizzards. It was believed that, due to bearish will, the cold winter also lasts: the bear in its den will turn on the other side, which means that winter has exactly half the way to go before spring. Hence the saying: "At the Solstice, the bear in the den turns from one side to the other." The people still use the concept of "karachun" in the sense of death, death. They say, for example: "a karachun came to him", "wait for a karachun", "ask a karachun", "got a karachun". On the other hand, the word "karachit" can have the following meanings - to move backwards, crawl, "skoryachilo" - twisted, drove. Perhaps Karachun was so called precisely because he, as it were, forced the daytime to go in the opposite direction, back away, crawl, crawling, yielding to the night.

Gradually, in the popular consciousness, Karachun became close to Frost, who chills the earth, as if plunging it into a deathly sleep. This is a more harmless image than the harsh Karachun. Frost is simply the master of the winter cold.

Winter solstice in other nations

In Europe these days began a 12-day cycle of pagan festivals dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and renewal of nature.

On the day of the winter solstice, it was customary in Scotland to launch the sun wheel - the "sun swirl". The barrel was coated with burning tar and let down the street. The wheel is a symbol of the sun, the spokes of the wheel resembled rays, the rotation of the spokes while moving made the wheel alive and like a luminary.

The winter solstice was determined earlier than all other seasons in China (there are 24 seasons in the Chinese calendar). In ancient China, it was believed that from this time the male power of nature rises and a new cycle begins. The winter solstice was considered a happy day worth celebrating. On this day, everyone - from the emperor to the commoner - went on vacation.

The army was brought to a state of waiting for orders, border fortresses and trade shops were closed, people went to visit each other, gave each other gifts.

The Chinese made sacrifices to the God of Heaven and their ancestors, and also ate porridge made from beans and glutinous rice to protect themselves from evil spirits and diseases. Until now, the day of the winter solstice is considered one of the traditional Chinese holidays.

In India, the day of the winter solstice - Sankranti - is celebrated in Hindu and Sikh communities, where bonfires are lit on the night before the celebration, the heat of which symbolizes the warmth of the sun, which begins to warm the earth after the winter cold.

The calendar of Russian folk will take place on December 21 (December 8, old style) - Anfisa Rukodelnitsa

On this day, Saint Anfisa of Rome is commemorated, who suffered for the Christian faith in the 5th century. Anfisa was the wife of a Roman dignitary and professed Christianity (according to legend, she was baptized by Saint Ambrose of Mediolan, whose memory is celebrated the day before). Once the wife of the mayor invited her to accept the Arian baptism (the Arian teaching denied the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ). Anfisa refused and, on the woman's libel, was burned at the stake.

On Anfisa, all girls in Russia were supposed to be engaged in needlework: spinning, weaving, sewing, embroidering. It was desirable to do this alone, and if it did not work out or did not want to retire, to carry out special ceremonies from damage.

The girl sews for Anfisa, but an extra eye, while sewing, is an evil eye, our ancestors said and advised young needlewomen to twine a silk thread around their wrists so as not to prick their fingers with a needle. The same rite protected from yawning and hiccups.

The embroidery itself also possessed magical power, in which various symbols were often encrypted. So, diamonds on towels denoted fertility; round rosettes and cross-shaped figures on clothing protected its owner from misfortune. In traditional embroidery patterns there are also images of the sun, trees, birds, personifying the life forces of nature. Our ancestors believed in their strength, believing that they would bring prosperity and prosperity to the house.

The calendar of Russian folk will take place on December 22 (December 9, old style) - Anna Zimnyaya. Anna Dark. Conception of Saint Anna.

The church celebrates not only birth but also conception. From the feast of Conception of Anna, winter begins: autumn ends, winter begins. The beginning of a real harsh winter. In the meantime (lace) in the trees for the Conception of Anna for the harvest. If the snow rolls right up to the hedge - a bad summer, but if there is a gap - a fruitful one. December 22 is the shortest day of the year, the solstice.

On the Conception of Anna to pregnant women, there is a strict fast (on other days, pregnant women are exempt from fasting), to avoid any quarrels and troubles, not to be seen by the crippled and disabled; you cannot light a fire, knit, embroider and take on any work, so as not to accidentally harm the unborn child. People who are knowledgeable in these matters assure that the fire kindled on this day can leave a red mark on the child's body, tangled threads twist his umbilical cord, and the poor, ugly ones seen by his mother can pass on their injuries to the child. At Conception, wolves converge, and after Epiphany they scatter.

The memory of Saint Anna, the mother of Mary, the future Mother of God, is celebrated twice a year: on August 7, a service is held in churches after the Assumption of Anna, her death. December 22 - the day of the winter equinox, in the south of Russia is considered the beginning of winter. A change is also noticed in the weather: "The sun for the summer, the winter for the frost." On this morning, services in the churches are held more solemnly than on ordinary days, for December 22 is the day "when the Most Holy Theotokos is conceived."