Winter Solstice 2026
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Current Local Time
—The winter solstice in 2026 occurs on December 21 at approximately 20:50 UTC, making it the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
What Is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice occurs on December 21, 2026 at approximately 20:50 UTC, when the sun reaches its lowest southern declination — 23.44° south of the celestial equator. For the Northern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year with minimum daylight. At 40°N latitude, you'll experience only about 9 hours and 20 minutes of daylight. North of the Arctic Circle (66.56°N), the sun doesn't rise at all — the phenomenon called polar night.
For the Southern Hemisphere, December 21 is the summer solstice — the longest day of the year. In Sydney, Melbourne, and Buenos Aires, this date brings maximum daylight and the official start of summer. The terms 'winter solstice' and 'summer solstice' are entirely hemisphere-dependent, which is why Southern Hemisphere Christmas falls in warm, sunny weather. After the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere begins gaining daylight again, and the days slowly lengthen toward spring.
FAQ — Winter Solstice 2026
What time is the winter solstice in 2026?
The winter solstice occurs on December 21, 2026 at approximately 20:50 UTC. In US time zones, that's 3:50 PM EST or 12:50 PM PST. In the UK, it's 8:50 PM GMT. The exact moment varies slightly year to year, but it always falls between December 20-22.
Is December 21 winter or summer?
It depends on your hemisphere. December 21 is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (shortest day, start of winter) but the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere (longest day, start of summer). If you're in Sydney, it's the first day of summer. If you're in New York, it's the shortest day of the year. Always specify which hemisphere you're describing.
What is polar night?
Polar night occurs when the sun doesn't rise at all — the sky remains dark for a full 24 hours. This happens north of the Arctic Circle (66.56°N) during the Northern Hemisphere winter, and south of the Antarctic Circle during the Southern Hemisphere winter. The further past the Arctic Circle you go, the more days of polar night you experience. In northern Norway, polar night can last weeks.
How many hours of daylight on the winter solstice?
It depends on your latitude. At the equator, it's about 12 hours 7 minutes (barely shorter than any other day). At 40°N (NYC, Madrid), it's about 9 hours 20 minutes. At 50°N (London), it's about 7 hours 50 minutes. At the Arctic Circle (66.56°N), it's 0 hours — no sunrise at all. Use our day length calculator for your exact location.
What happens after the winter solstice?
After the December solstice, the Northern Hemisphere begins gaining daylight. The days lengthen gradually at first — about 1 minute per day around the solstice — then more rapidly as spring approaches. By the spring equinox in March, you've gained about 3+ hours of daylight compared to the solstice. The Southern Hemisphere experiences the opposite: days begin shortening after the summer solstice.
Why is the winter solstice also called the shortest day?
The winter solstice marks the moment of minimum daylight — the shortest period between sunrise and sunset. After this date, the Northern Hemisphere starts gaining daylight again. The term 'shortest day' refers to day length (hours of sunlight), not the length of the calendar day, which is always 24 hours. It's the astronomical turning point where darkness reaches its peak and light begins its return.