Winter solstice 21 Dec 2025

Winter solstice

Ever felt as if the night just wouldn"t end? That"s the winter solstice working its magic. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens around June 21 or 22. It marks the moment when one of Earth"s poles tilts farthest from the sun. From that instant, daylight slowly begins to lengthen again.

© Schon/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Rainbow around the Sun
21 Dec 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
21 Dec 2024Burning the Clocks

More Desktop Wallpapers:

7 Dec 2024Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England
13 Mar 2024Lake Magadi, Kenya
16 Dec 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
13 Feb 2026Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand
International Mountain Day
13 Dec 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
13 Jul 2025International Rock Day
Sunlight turning silver to gold
12 Dec 2023Reed bunting
21 Sep 2023International Day of Peace
From victory to festivity
31 May 2026Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
This bird is peak beak
Passing with flying colours
19 Dec 2023Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland
22 Jan 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
3 Dec 2024Amber Fort, Amer, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Black sands in a tropical paradise
Aug 25, 2023National Park Service anniversary
17 Jul 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
5 Dec 2025Maya site of Copán
12 Jun 2026European bee-eater in Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Cádiz, Spain
26 Jan 2024Big Garden Birdwatch
9 Oct 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
16 Dec 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
26 Dec 2025Boxing Day
4 Nov 2025Tower Bridge, London
8 Oct 2025World Octopus Day
8 Apr 2024Llansteffan Castle, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Reflecting on Christmas