Winter Solstice: Myths, Meanings and the Wildest Celebrations Around the World

Let’s face it, this time of year is about as cheerful as a wet sock, particularly if you reside somewhere like the UK where temperatures regularly drop below zero, winds slap you silly and the rain is attacking you from all directions. Fear not, dear readers, as brighter days are coming – we just have to get through the Winter Solstice first.

What is the Winter Solstice?

Also known as the hibernal solstice, the Winter Solstice happens when either one of our planet’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice every year, once for the Northern hemisphere and once for the Southern hemisphere, kicking off their winter seasons in December.

When is the Winter Solstice? 

In line with that, the astronomical winter season is due to come to an end on Thursday, March 20, 2025. In 2024, the shortest day of the year will occur on Saturday, December 21 and, in line with that, the astronomical winter season is due to come to an end on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Five Weird and Wonderful Winter Solstice Myths From Cultures Around the World

The Most Wild and Wonderful Winter Solstice Celebrations and Traditions Across the World

Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rites. Today we still celebrate the long and dark night that marks the turning point of the sun’s journey back to us and, while Brits may simply visit the prehistoric rock wonder that is Stonehenge, other countries do things a little differently…

Iceland’s The Þorrablót Festival

Harking back to Icelandic pagan times, Iceland’s Þorrablót is like a love letter to winter, originally revolving around sacrifices to Þorri, the personification of Old Man Winter. Back in the day, the festival was a big deal, until Christianity showed up around 1000 A.D. and Þorrablót had to go underground.

Fast-forward to modern times, and the festival is back, though with less pagan ritual and more adventurous eating. On the menu? Things like sviðakjammi (sheep head, eyes included), súr hvalur (pickled whale blubber), and the infamous hákarl - fermented Greenland shark with a smell so intense it’s been described as an edible dare. Brave enough to dig in? You’ll need an iron stomach, and maybe a nose plug.

Mongolia’s The Nine Nines

Mongolia’s winters are brutally cold, so locals devised The Nine Nines, a system of nine-day chunks to track the season’s progress. Starting the day after the Winter Solstice, each ‘Nine’ marks milestones, like vodka made from milk freezing during the first and ox horns freezing by the fourth. By the fifth, the weather starts easing, signalled when boiled rice stops congealing. This centuries-old tradition, created by nomadic herders, helps break winter into manageable parts and keeps hope alive as spring slowly approaches. 

Taiwan’s The Dongzhi Festival

Dongzhi, the Winter Solstice festival celebrated across East Asia, is a time for family, food, and traditions. In Taiwan, people enjoy hot pots filled with mutton or duck to combat the cold and recharge for the year ahead - a favourite treat is tangyuan, glutinous rice dumplings in sweet soup that symbolise warmth (yang) to counter winter's chill (yin). Along with festive meals, families honour ancestors by offering them food. 

Iran’s Yalda Night

Iranian people celebrate Yaldā night, the night of the winter solstice by getting all the family together, at the house of the oldest person, and eat nuts, pomegranates and watermelons, drink and read poetry.

Guatemala’s Danza de los Voladores

One of the most daring Winter Solstice rituals is Guatemala’s polo voladore, or Flying Pole dance. Performed by Mayan Indians to honour the sun god, participants climb a 50ft pole with a rope tied to one foot. As music plays, they leap off, spinning as they descend. Landing on their feet is seen as a sign of success, pleasing the sun god and ensuring his return. 

Ohio’s The Lighting of the Serpent

This US celebration involves the lighting of candles on a 400m long, 3ft high prehistoric mound in the shape of a snake. It is believed to have been built in AD400 by Native Americans.

Global Orgasm

In 2006, activists Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell launched Global Orgasm, a worldwide event with a unique mission: people everywhere having orgasms while focusing their thoughts on peace. The idea? Channel collective positive energy for global harmony. Held each December, participants are given a generous 24-hour window to, well, get in the mood. Can't quite "get there" on cue? No problem - what matters is the intention behind it!