The winter solstice is here. Today marks the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, while last night was the longest night of the year. This has been an important event for millennia, with evidence of celebrations going back as far as 10,000 BCE. Some of the world"s most famous Stone Age monuments, including Stonehenge, are aligned with the point that the sun rises or sets on the winter solstice. Traditionally, it was a time for feasting and lighting of fires to symbolise the darkest day of the year. Ancient Germanic tribes celebrated the winter solstice by bringing evergreens into their homes as a symbol of the returning light and the coming spring.
Happy winter solstice!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Happy Fat Tuesday!
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All is calm
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Silvereyes
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Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
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Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
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Death Valley National Park, California
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Giant panda, Chengdu, China
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International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
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European hedgehog
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Bring the king cakes
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An old bridge in a new light
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A different kind of toucan
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Black sands in a tropical paradise
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Sunlight turning silver to gold
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Three Natural Bridges, Wulong National Park, China
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A city so nice, they made it twice
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Lake Ontario, Toronto, during winter
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Say hello to these halophytes!
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Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
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Something to ‘bee’ thankful for
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Methoni Castle, Messinia, Greece
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Let there be lights!
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Great horned owl
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
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Blue as far as the eye can see
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Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
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On a dark and stormy night...
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Postcard from Italy
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Dad on duty
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World Environment Day