The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year: a time to celebrate the return of the sun and the promise of longer days ahead but also a time to reflect on the past year and to set goals for the year ahead.

A time of astronomical significance, it marks the beginning of Astronomical Winter. It is the day when the Earth's axis is tilted the most away from the Sun. This means that the Sun appears to be at its lowest point in the sky. After the winter solstice, the Earth's axis begins to tilt back towards the Sun, and the days start to get longer.