What Is Winter Solstice 2024. The winter solstice, or the december solstice, is the point at which the path of the sun in the sky is farthest south. For most people, the winter solstice is an astronomical event that tells them they have reached the winter season and the time of the year when nights are longer than days.
The winter solstice heralds the astronomical start of winter and marks the day with the fewest hours of daylight for the year. The dates for equinoxes and solstices in the northern and southern hemispheres are the same, but in opposite seasons.