{"id":438245,"date":"2021-11-18T09:25:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T14:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/?p=438245"},"modified":"2023-11-28T03:12:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T03:12:45","slug":"where-to-celebrate-the-winter-solstice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartertravel.com\/where-to-celebrate-the-winter-solstice\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Celebrate the Winter Solstice: The 9 Best Destinations Worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The shortest day of the year is full of possibilities. What\u2019s known as the winter solstice (or the first day of winter) is a phenomenon that happens due to the Earth\u2019s tilted axis<\/a>, and cultures all over the world have turned the longest night of the year into something worth celebrating. For many, this means a family feast\u2014whether that\u2019s Yalda in Iran<\/a>, Dongzhi in China<\/a>, or Dongji in Korea<\/a>. It\u2019s also a day to join in a light-filled festival or ponder an ancient mystery at a ruin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When is the winter solstice? If you\u2019re planning a vacation around the winter solstice 2021, then Tuesday, December 21 is the date to remember for the Northern Hemisphere. Here are a few very special places worldwide to see the sun rise or set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being at Stonehenge at sunset during the shortest day of the year is the ultimate addition to a travel bucket list. No one knows exactly why this ancient stone circle in Wiltshire, England was originally constructed, but the stones chart the sun\u2019s movements, and Stonehenge perfectly frames the midwinter sunset at the winter solstice. If you can\u2019t make it to this iconic World Heritage Site in person, there\u2019s a free Winter Solstice livestream<\/a> that makes it feel like you are there.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of three ancient sites in Ireland\u2019s Br\u00fa na B\u00f3inne valley, Newgrange\u2019s secrets reveal itself once a year on the winter solstice. According to Ireland\u2019s tourism website<\/a>, this curious mound-shaped passage tomb includes an opening that allows sun to shine in during the winter solstice and illuminate the inner chamber. It\u2019s incredibly precise for something created even before Stonehenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interior of the Newgrange monument is currently closed due to pandemic restrictions. But like Stonehenge, there\u2019s a livestream<\/a> at the site of Newgrange\u2019s tomb during the winter solstice. Prior to COVID, there was a lottery<\/a> to select lucky visitors to see Newgrange lit up in person.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nStonehenge, England\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Newgrange, Ireland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Uaxact\u00fan, Guatemala<\/h2>\n\n\n\n