{"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

Stonehenge, England\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Stonehenge
andrewmroland | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\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

Newgrange, Ireland<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Newgrange
Yggdrasill | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\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\n

Uaxact\u00fan, Guatemala<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Structure
Visit Centro Am\u00e9rica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The movement of the sun was of utmost importance to the Maya civilization<\/a>. At the ancient Uaxact\u00fan site in Guatemala\u2019s Maya Biosphere Reserve, a pyramid was constructed along with three temples, each designed to observe the winter solstice, summer solstice, and the equinox. If you happen to be at the Uaxact\u00fan ruins on December 21, you would see that half of the pyramid would be shrouded in light and the other half in darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Related:<\/h3>\n

The 6 Best Places to Visits in December<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chichen Itza, Mexico\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mayan
Premium Collection | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another Mayan ruin (and UNESCO World Heritage site<\/a>) with winter solstice significance is in Mexico\u2019s Yucatan Peninsula. The ruins at Chichen Itza are known for a spectacular light show during the equinox. But according to anthropology magazine Sapiens<\/em><\/a>, on December 21, the sun rises right above the El Castillo pyramid and then in the afternoon, a shadow divides the pyramid in half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brighton, England<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Lantern
Simon Dack | Same Sky<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the solstice in England\u2019s seaside city Brighton, the dark winter night is lit up by glowing, handmade paper lanterns as 2,000 people take part in a luminous winter parade winding through the seaside city to the beach. All those lanterns (each representing the makers\u2019 \u201chopes and dreams\u201d as community arts organizer Same Sky puts it) are then tossed on the beach bonfire. The quirky annual procession is called Burning the Clocks<\/a>, and it began in 2004 as a new, non-commercial Christmas tradition. Be among the crowd of 20,000 spectators who watch the parade and then gather for the bonfire and a festive fireworks display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penzance, England<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Houses
Tomas Marek | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traditional Cornish midwinter customs live on with the Montol Festival in historic Penzance<\/a>, a six-day arts event timed to the winter solstice. Caroling, plays, and late-night shopping are all part of fun until the \u201clight and darkness\u201d-themed parade on December 21. This modern-day take on ancient traditions began in 2007 and includes fire displays, torch lightings, and a late night procession with dancing. Revelers dress up in costumes covered in ornate ribbons, lace veils, or animal masks.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Related:<\/h3>\n

11 Packable, Lightweight Winter Jackets and Coats for Travelers<\/a><\/p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Vancouver, Canada<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Labyrinth
Secret Lantern Society<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For more than two decades<\/a>, Vancouverites have celebrated the solstice with a lantern festival. Glowing lanterns lit with beeswax candles are set up into a \u201cLabyrinth of Light\u201d formation, and there\u2019s singing and parades throughout the city. This festival is from the Secret Lantern Society<\/a>, and due to the pandemic, festivities last year included a livestream with music and poetry.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helsinki, Finland\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Old
Scanrail | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Nordic countries have a traditional way of brightening up the dark December months with St. Lucia celebrations. St. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure known as a bearer of light, according to Sweden\u2019s tourism site<\/a>. To celebrate, children dress in all white gowns and a little girl chosen to play Lucia wears a crown of candles (battery-operated nowadays for safety). This holiday is celebrated on Dec. 13, which was once the solstice<\/a> in ancient calendars. There\u2019s a particularly spirited St. Lucia tradition in Finland<\/a>, where a crowd of 30,000 typically attends a parade and market in the city center after St. Lucia is crowned at Helsinki Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luxor, Egypt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Karnak
zevana | Adobe Stock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Try to time your visit to see Luxor\u2019s ancient tombs and temples with the winter solstice. Each year, the solstice sunrise aligns with the entryway of the Karnak temple, according to Smithsonian Magazine<\/em><\/a>. The sunrays make their way to the temple\u2019s sanctuary of Amun Ra\u2019a and to Hatshepsut\u2019s ancient temple, Egypt Today notes<\/a>, which is fitting since ancient Egyptians worshipped a solar deity. Each year, archaeologists and tourists<\/a> alike make a visit on the winter solstice, but you can check it out online<\/a> if you can\u2019t make it to Luxor.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The shortest day of the year is full of possibilities. What’s known as the winter solstice (or the first day of winter) is a phenomenon that happens due to the Earth’s tilted axis, and cultures all over the world have turned the longest night of the year into something worth celebrating. For many, this means 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