The winter solstice has been marked as the starting point of a new year for thousands of years all over the globe. Even more commonly, it was seen as the turnaround point for the sun, when the darkness stops expanding and the days begin to get longer. That's something to celebrate! While December 21st is often called midwinter, we consider the beginning of winter, because the earth's temperatures lag behind the number of sunlight hours. In Japan, the solstice is celebrated by taking a hot bath with citrus fruit. In Peru, they read the coca leaves. In Iran, they stay up all night to welcome back the sun.
Most winter solstice celebrations around the world involve lighting up the long night, special rich foods, singing, dancing, and drinking, because those are things that just go with winter festivals. Read about ten traditional winter solstice celebrations from around the world at Mental Floss. They include a couple of festivals that are celebrated in June, because they are in the Southern Hemisphere.
(Image credit: garethwiscombe)
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