New Delhi: The Winter Solstice begins today marking the shortest day of the year as the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky, the sun will appear at its lowest point in the sky today at precisely 12.11pm.
The Solstice officially heralds the beginning of winter and is regarded by some cultures as a recognition of rebirth, involving festivals and rituals.
Google has marked this official start of winter with a special doodle depicting a woollen mitten being knitted.
The word Solstice derives from the Latin word solstitium – sol meaning “sun” and stitium (“a stoppage”).
The solstice occurs due to the Earth's axis of rotation, which for the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, is faced the furthest away from the sun. At this time, the sun is at the southernmost point in the sky -- 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator known as the Tropic of Cancer.
Many world cities such as Denver, Sydney, Seattle and Toronto even hold winter solstice bike rides to celebrate this special day.
