奇速英语

8500人巨石阵冬至庆典

Nearly 8,500 people gathered at Stonehenge on Sunday to celebrate the winter solstice and mark the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere as the sun rose over the ancient monument in southwest England.

The word solstice comes from the Latin term solstitium, meaning “Sun stands still.” This name reflects the apparent pause in the sun’s movement across the sky before it changes direction. Around the winter solstice, the sun seems to rise and set at the same point on the horizon for a few days before it begins to climb higher again, heralding longer days. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s called the winter solstice because it coincides with the start of astronomical winter. However, for those in the Southern Hemisphere, December 21 is the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year.

Is the Winter Solstice Always on the Same Day? Not always. While the winter solstice usually falls on December 21 or 22, it can occasionally occur on December 20 or 23. These variations happen because of the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun and the way we measure time through the Gregorian calendar. The rarest winter solstice dates are December 20 and 23. For instance, the last December 23 solstice was in 1903, and the next won’t occur until 2303. A December 20 solstice is also rare, with the next one expected in 2080.

Stonehenge was erected between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago, specifically designed to mark the winter and summer solstices through its alignment with the sun. The monument stands approximately 75 miles southwest of London on Salisbury Plain. Participants gathered in the cold, dark field before sunrise, with some singing and beating drums while others took moments for quiet reflection among the massive stone pillars. Many attendees consider the pilgrimage a spiritual experience and return for both summer and winter solstice celebrations. Despite being the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice is celebrated by many as a time of renewal and hope.