Winter solstice 2023: How the festival is celebrated worldwide? Check out 7 diverse traditions

From China to Antarctica, explore how the festival of winter solstice is celebrated globally, marking unique traditions around the world.

Attention astronomy enthusiasts! Get ready to celebrate the arrival of winter in the northern hemisphere with an exciting stargazing event. The winter solstice, which falls on either December 21 or 22, is a notable annual event marking the longest night and shortest day of the year. Mark your calendars for December 22 this year as the event will take place on Friday at approximately 8:57 am. Rooted in the axial tilt of the Earth, this event has great cultural, historical and astronomical significance. Humans have recognised this astronomical event for millennia and have celebrated the Sun's 'return' in a variety of historical and cultural customs. Let's take a look at how it is celebrated in different parts of the world.

An Indigenous man performs the Flying Pole outside Santo Tomas church in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Palo Volador (flying pole) is an indigenous-pre-Hispanic tradition in Guatemala in which people climb to the top of a 30-meter trunk to thank for the crops and welcome the winter solstice. (Photo by Emmanuel Andres / AFP)

Winter Solstice Traditions from Around the World

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, here are the main winter solstice traditions from around the world.

1. Dong Zhi

The "arrival of winter," or Dong Zhi, is a significant festival in China. Family get-togethers to celebrate the year ahead are customary during this time. As per the conventional Chinese celestial calendar, the occasion usually falls between December 21st and 23rd. It is said to have begun as an end-of-harvest celebration, during which labourers would return from the fields and share the produce of their labourers with their families. One enjoys special meals like sticky rice balls or tang yuan.

2. Lucia’s Day

Scandinavians celebrate St. Lucia's Day, a festival of lights, around the time of the winter solstice. Its origins date back to the Norse solstice when people lit bonfires to ward off ghosts during the longest night. Today, it is observed in honour of the Christian martyr St. Lucia. In observance of St. Lucia, girls dress up in white dresses with red sashes and crowns made of candles.

3. Midwinter in Antarctica

Even Antarctica gets its share of solstice celebrations, thanks to the researchers who spend the long, dangerously cold season there. People in the southern hemisphere celebrate midwinter, while those of us in the northern hemisphere enjoy the longest day of the year. Special meals, films and perhaps even handmade gifts are all part of the festivities.

4. Saturnalia

Present-day Christmas celebrations and the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia are arguably most closely related. This celebration marked the conclusion of the planting season and took place around the time of the winter solstice. For many days, there were games, feasts, and gift-giving, and the social hierarchy was reversed—slaves were not required to labour and were for a short while treated equally.

5. Inti Raymi

Rather than in December, this solstice ceremony takes place in June. However, this is an Incan event honouring the Sun god, and for Peru, it is a winter solstice. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Incas observed these celebrations, which featured feasts and animal or potentially child sacrifices. The event was outlawed by the Spanish, but it was brought back in the 20th century and is still observed today—albeit with fake sacrifices made in place of actual ones.

6. Yalda

The Persian holiday Yalda, also known as Shab-e Yalda, commemorates the winter solstice in Iran and dates back thousands of years. The Persian month of Azar comes to an end on this day. Yalda is traditionally celebrated as the sun deity Mithra's birthday and the triumph of light over darkness. Families join together to celebrate by eating special dishes like pomegranates and nuts, and some even stay up late to greet the sun.

7. Soyal

The Hopi Tribe in northern Arizona celebrates Soyal, the winter solstice. Rituals and ceremonies involve dancing, purification, and occasionally exchanging gifts. Hopi greet the kachinas, mountain guardian spirits, at the time of the solstice. Prayer sticks are made and used in a variety of rites and blessings.