What dates are called solstice days. The position of the sun at the solstice

The night from 21 to 22 December is special. First, it will be the moment of the Winter Solstice (1:23 am on December 22 Moscow time). Secondly, the Moon will be in the phase of the full moon, its maximum light, and also in Taurus - the sign of its exaltation (Vedic horoscope).

Equinox Day 2018

The night from 21 to 22 December will be the longest in 2018 in the entire northern hemisphere. This phenomenon occurs for the reason that it is at this time that the inclination of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to the Sun becomes greatest. In the calendar, this date is called the Winter Solstice. The exact date and time of the winter solstice in 2018: GMT - December 21, 22 hours 23 minutes GMT Kiev time - December 22 at 00 hours 23 minutes Moscow time - December 22 at 01 hours 23 minutes December 21 and 22 - the shortest days of the year, and between them is the longest night of the year. Astronomical summer begins in the Southern Hemisphere at the time of the winter solstice. In astrology, the winter solstice is the moment the Sun passes into the constellation Capricorn and the beginning of astronomical winter, which will last right up to the day of the vernal equinox.

WHY IS THIS DAY IMPORTANT?

First, we have 4 important points in the wheel of the year - spring and autumn equinoxes, summer and winter solstices. They divide the solar year into a cross - a key symbol of the cyclicity of the universe and the Sun (Slavic and Vedic swastikas).

Each of these 4 stages has its own qualities, and on the day of the Winter Solstice, we in the northern hemisphere experience the longest, darkest night, after which the day begins to grow.

Secondly, in 2018 this day coincides with the full moon - a special phase of the moon, in which we receive the maximum light of the night star. This day is very important for practices and work with intention, rituals are performed on it.

BEGINNING OF A NEW CYCLE

The Winter Solstice is the moment of the rebirth of the Sun, when its light will be more and more. Within our human cycle, this corresponds to a spiritual uplift, a movement from darkness to light. The full moon amplifies the energies of this day, further charging the practices and intentions worth doing on this day.

Do not overlook such an important day in the annual cycle. Our ancestors always performed festive rituals on such days, which showed their deep understanding of the laws of the universe, connection with the cycles of nature, life in harmony with the outside world and the cosmos. Recommended practices:

1. Purification. To enter into the new, one must leave the old. Therefore, it will be very good to do cleansing practices the day before:

• House cleaning getting rid of old things.
• Body cleansing. Any available and shown to your health way of cleansing or unloading the body.
• Repayment of debts, completion of "defects". Sit down and make a list of what you owe someone or once promised, or maybe promised yourself, started and did not finish. Some things you can complete before December 22, and some things in the near future to make room for a new cycle.
• Forgiveness and letting go of grudges. Practice forgiveness. Remember and write down the situations, the people you have grievances against, write the words of forgiveness, speak out loud, release them from the emotional field with gratitude. Burn this piece of paper. K. Tipping's book "Radical Forgiveness" will help you.

Our ancestors knew and honored the laws of nature, so they celebrated events such as the winter solstice.

Despite the enormous progress achieved, even modern technology is not able to break the magic of natural cycles: the lunar day will not change places, and summer will not come after autumn.

In 2018, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 01:23 am Moscow time. On this day, the Sun reaches its lowest position. Further, at the end of December and January, daylight hours become longer.

In astrology, on this day the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Sagittarius to Capricorn, and astrological winter begins.

Note that on the night of December 21-22, astronomical winter begins. This is because the height of the sun in the sky is the lowest on this day. In the old days, on this day, our ancestors celebrated it at night, before sunrise. Various rituals and conspiracies were performed.

The traditions of many peoples implied the celebration of the winter solstice as the birth of a new Sun.

It is worth saying that our ancestors tried to prepare their homes for the Winter Solstice: a general cleaning was carried out, and the rooms and houses were decorated outside with spruce branches.

The day of the winter solstice among the Slavs was considered the New Year. The celebration was called in honor of Kolyada, the god of the new Sun.

As for the longest day, it is observed on June 22, then in the future it gradually declines. At the end of June, the days begin to slowly decrease, and by December they will reach their minimum. In the most northern cities even the polar night will come.

In turn, the day of the autumn equinox occurs from September 21 to 23, when the day is the same length as the night. After this day, the night begins to increase and the day to decrease.

According to universal time, the spring equinox occurs on March 22, when the Sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern. This is the period when the day is almost equal to the night.

Reading 3 min. Published on 06/21/2018

Today, June 21, is the summer solstice. The editors will tell you what the Summer Solstice means, why it is significant in our life, culture and traditions.

Summer Solstice 2018: Date and Time

The summer solstice in 2018 falls on today, Thursday, June 21, 13 hours 7 minutes Kyiv time. The longest day of the year is 17 hours and 33 minutes. And the shortest night, respectively, will last less than 6.5 hours, which is almost ¼ of the day. It is noteworthy that in leap years, the summer solstice falls on the 20th of June.

What does the summer solstice mean

• The summer solstice is an astronomical event during which Earth, or rather its axis of rotation, is minimally inclined with respect to the main luminary - the Sun. On this day, the slope is 23°26′.
• The name "solstice" this phenomenon was due to the fact that on this day it seems as if the sun froze for a long time at the zenith and stands at one point high overhead.
• The summer solstice is the longest of the year, as opposed to the short winter solstice.
• The height of the sun's rise above the horizon on the summer solstice is the highest of the year.
• The summer solstice marks the beginning of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
• A little about the sad: starting from the day of the summer solstice, the daylight hours will gradually decrease and reach its lowest hourly value on the day of the winter solstice, December 21.

Summer Solstice Festival: Rituals and Celebrations

The sun on this day gives us the largest charge of light, heat, and also its energy for the whole year. The summer solstice falls at the peak of the summer season, and it is important to spend it in a good mood in order to attract only favorable energy.

In different cultures, the summer solstice was perceived differently, but for most peoples this period was associated with rebirth, the riot of life, the flowering of nature, as well as the special magical power of its main elements - fire, water, plants.

The Slavs celebrated an ancient pagan holiday on the day of the summer solstice. Ivan Kupala, whose events were dedicated to Yarila - the Sun. Pagan traditions are closely intertwined with folklore and rituals and have survived to our time.

People tried to spend this day in nature, celebrate with songs, round dances around the fires, weaving wreaths, fortune-telling and festivities. It was believed that these rituals determine what a person's life will be like for the next year, and therefore they cannot be ignored.

Signs of the summer solstice:

• gloomy weather on this day predicts a poor harvest;
• thunderstorm - to a long bad weather;
• abundant morning dew - to a rich harvest;
• many stars in the sky - a lot of mushrooms in September;
• if a guy pours water on a girl - this is for an imminent wedding;
• people born on the summer solstice are protected by the sun;
• the wish made on this day will come true.

Solstice- an astronomical event, the moment of passage of the center of the Sun through the points of the ecliptic, the most distant from the equator of the celestial sphere and called the solstice points.

The position of the Earth in orbit at the moments: summer solstice, winter solstice, autumnal equinox and spring equinox

Distinguish winter And summer solstice. UTC (in other time zones, these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere winter the solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, and summer the solstice occurs on June 21 (in leap years, June 20 or 21). In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the December solstice is summer, and June - winter.

The day of the winter solstice is the shortest day (with the longest night) of the year in the corresponding hemisphere (except for the pole region, where the only night of the year lasts half a year, and the winter solstice is the middle of this polar night). The day of the summer solstice is the longest day (with the shortest night) of the year in the corresponding hemisphere (except for the region of the pole, where the only light day of the year lasts half a year and the summer solstice is the middle of this polar day).

In mid-latitudes during astronomical winter and spring, the point at which the Sun is at noon (more precisely, at true noon) daily rises higher and higher above the horizon, and on the day of the summer solstice “stops” and changes its movement to the opposite. Then it goes down every day, and, in the end, at the time of the winter solstice, it “stops” again and begins to rise back.

Due to leap shift The dates of the solstice in different years can differ by 1-2 days. Traditionally, the moment of the winter solstice is taken as the beginning of astronomical winter, and the moment of the summer solstice is taken as the beginning of astronomical summer, which is a consequence of the choice for the beginning of astronomical spring or autumn - the day of spring or autumn equinoxes. The astronomical longitude of the sun at these moments is 90° and 270°, respectively.

For several days before and after the moment of the solstice, the Sun almost does not change its declination, its midday heights in the sky are almost unchanged (the height during the year changes according to a graph close to the bell-shaped peak of a sinusoid); hence the very name of the solstice. From observations of the heights of the Sun during both solstices, the inclination of the ecliptic plane to the plane of the celestial equator can be determined.

Point designation

The points of the winter and summer solstices are indicated by zodiac symbols corresponding to the constellations in which they were at the time of Hipparchus: the winter solstice - the sign of Capricorn (♑), the summer solstice - the sign of Cancer (♋). As a result of the prelude of the equinoxes, these points have shifted and are now, respectively, in the constellations of Sagittarius and Taurus, and the point of the summer solstice moved to the constellation of Taurus from the constellation of Gemini relatively recently - in the fall of 1988.

Winter solstice

Winter solstice occurs at the moment when the inclination of the Earth's axis of rotation in the direction from the Sun takes on the greatest value. The maximum angle of inclination of the earth's axis relative to the Sun at the time of the solstice is 23° 26".

Diagram of the seasons in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Far right: winter solstice

It is more obvious to those living at high latitudes that the winter solstice falls on the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the height of the sun is at its lowest in the sky. Since the winter solstice lasts only a brief moment in time, other names are used for the day when this occurs, for example: "midwinter", "longest night" or "first day of winter".

The seasonal significance of the winter solstice consists in a reversal of the gradual lengthening of the night and the shortening of the day. Depending on the calendar shift, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and on June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

In different cultures, the interpretation of this event was perceived differently, but for most nations it was regarded as a revival, holidays, festivals, meetings, rituals and other celebrations were held at this time.

In 45 BC. e. Julius Caesar In his Julian calendar, he set December 25 for Europe as the date of the winter solstice (lat. Bruma).

Bust of Julius Caesar from the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. Created around the reign of Trajan (beginning of the 2nd century AD)

Since then, due to the difference between the calendar year (365.2500 days) and the tropical year (~365.2421897 days), there has been a shift in the actual astronomical solstice by about three days every four centuries, reaching the date of December 12 in the 16th century. In 1582 the Pope Gregory XIII decided to restore the exact correspondence between the seasons and the civil year, but at the same time he referred not to the era of the Roman emperor, but to the Council of Nicaea in 325, the period of the formation of the main Christian holidays.

Gregory XIII

Thus, the Pope canceled the 10-day error accumulated over the period from the 4th to the 16th centuries, but did not take into account the 3 days that ran between the 1st and 4th centuries of our era. This calendar adjustment moved the northern hemisphere winter solstice to around December 22nd. So far, the Gregorian solstice has fluctuated by one or two days, and in the long run, there may be an additional shift of one day every 3,000 years.

Historical and cultural significance

The solstices may have been a special moment in the annual cycle, even at times Neolithic.

The Neolithic sign is the Gozek circle. The yellow lines point to sunrise and sunset on the winter solstice.

The astronomical events that have governed the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the preparation of winter supplies for the next harvest since ancient times show how various cultural myths and traditions came into being. This is evidenced by the layout of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as stonehenge in the UK and newgrange in Ireland.

stonehenge

newgrange

The main axes of both of these monuments were carefully aligned with a visual line indicating sunrise on the winter solstice (Newgrange) and sunset on the winter solstice (Stonehenge). With regard to Stonehenge, it is significant that the Great Trilith is turned outward from the center of the monument, that is, its flat front part is turned towards the middle of winter according to the Sun.

Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu emerging from a cave

The winter solstice was extremely important in the life of the primitive community, because people were not sure that they had prepared well for winter during the previous nine months, and that they would be able to survive this winter. Hunger was common during the winter period, from January to April, this stretch of the year is known as the famine months. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last festival before the onset of the hard winter period. Most of the cattle were slaughtered at this time, as there was nothing to feed them during the winter, so the time of the winter solstice was the only period of the year when fresh meat was consumed the most. At this time, most of the wine and beer, made during the warm season, finally reached the readiness, and it was possible to drink it. Festivities were held not only directly on this day, they began at midnight or at dawn, and most often the day before.

Since the winter solstice is a pivotal event in the presence of the Sun in the sky, it gave rise to the widespread concept of the birth or rebirth of the gods. In the culture of many peoples, cyclic calendars are based on the winter solstice, the resurgent year is celebrated, a symbol of “new beginnings”, such as, for example, the cleansing tradition of Hogmanay in Scotland. In Greek mythology, the gods and goddesses met the winter and summer solstices, on these days the god Hades was allowed to appear on Mount Olympus (his kingdom was the underworld, and at any other time he was not supposed to leave there).

Direct observation of the solstice by amateurs is difficult because the sun moves rather slowly towards the solstice, so it is difficult to determine its specific day, let alone its instant. Knowing the timing of an event's origin has only recently been made possible down to almost instantaneous times by precise tracking of astronomical data. The actual moment of the solstice cannot be detected by definition (it is impossible to notice that the object has stopped moving, it can only be stated that in the current measurement the object has not changed its position compared to the previous measurement, or has moved in the opposite direction). In addition, to determine the event with an accuracy of one day, one must be able to observe changes in azimuth and height less than 1/60 of the angular diameter of the Sun. A similar definition, accurate to within two days, is easier, requiring an observational error of only about 1/16 of the Sun's angular diameter. Thus, most observations state the day of the solstice, and not its instant. Often this is done by observing the sunrise and sunset, with an astronomically calibrated instrument that ensures that a beam of light passes to a certain point at exactly the right time.

Sunrise between the stones at Stonehenge on the winter solstice in the mid 1980s

Summer solstice

Summer solstice occurs at the moment when the inclination of the Earth's axis of rotation in the direction from the Sun takes on the smallest value.

Diagram of the seasons in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. Top left position: summer solstice

It is more obvious to those living at high latitudes that the summer solstice falls on the longest day and shortest night of the year, when the height of the sun's rise in the sky is at its highest. Since the summer solstice lasts only a brief moment in time, other names are used for the day when the summer solstice occurs, for example: "midsummer", "longest day" or "first day of summer".

Depending on the calendar shift, the summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and on December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.

The day is widely celebrated by different nations.

Equinox

Equinox - an astronomical phenomenon, which is the moment when the center of the Sun in its apparent movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator.

When observing the Earth from space, on the equinox, the terminator passes along the geographic poles of the Earth and is perpendicular to the earth's equator.

The celestial equator is tilted 23°26' to the plane of the ecliptic

Celestial equator- a great circle of the celestial sphere, the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the world and coincides with the plane of the earth's equator. The celestial equator divides the celestial sphere into two hemispheres: North hemisphere, with its apex at the north celestial pole, and Southern Hemisphere, with a peak at the south celestial pole. The constellations through which the celestial equator passes are called equatorial.

Since the axis of rotation of the Earth deviates from the perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit by 23 ° 26 ', the plane of the celestial equator is inclined at the same angle to the plane of the ecliptic. The ecliptic intersects with the celestial equator at the spring and autumn equinoxes.

The celestial equator is the basis of the equatorial system of celestial coordinates: the declination is measured from it (an analogue of the geographical latitude measured from the earth's equator). Another coordinate of this system - right ascension (analogous to geographic longitude) - is measured from the vernal equinox.

Distinguish spring And autumn equinox. UTC (in other time zones, these dates may differ by a day) in the northern hemisphere spring the equinox occurs on March 20, when the sun moves from the southern hemisphere to the northern, and autumn The equinox occurs on September 22 or 23, when the Sun moves from the northern hemisphere to the southern. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the March equinox is considered autumn and the September spring.

On the days of the equinox on the entire surface of the Earth (excluding the regions of the earth's poles), the day is almost equal to the night ("almost": on the days of the equinox on the entire surface of the Earth, the day is slightly longer than the night; the reasons for this are atmospheric refraction, which somewhat "raises" the solar disk for the observer, and the fact that the length of the day is determined as the difference between the moments of sunset and sunrise, which, in turn, are determined by the position top edge the solar disk relative to the horizon, while the equinox is viewed relative to center solar disk). On equinoxes, the Sun rises almost exactly in the east (a little north of east) and sets almost exactly in the west (a little north of west).

During the period when the day is longer than the night, approximately from the spring to the autumn equinox, the Sun rises northeast and sets northwest (strictly speaking, this period begins shortly before the vernal equinox and ends shortly after the autumnal equinox), and during the period when the day is shorter than the night , which lasts approximately from the autumn to the spring equinox, the Sun rises south of the east and sets south of the west (strictly speaking, this period begins shortly after the autumnal equinox and ends shortly before the spring equinox).

The points of intersection of the celestial equator with the ecliptic are called equinox points. Because of the ellipticity of its orbit, the Earth moves from the autumnal equinox to the spring equinox rather than from the spring to the autumnal equinox. Due to the precession of the earth's axis, the relative position of the equator and the ecliptic is slowly changing; this phenomenon is called before the equinoxes. During the year, the position of the equator changes so that the Sun arrives at the equinox 20 minutes 24 seconds earlier than the Earth completes a complete orbit. As a result, the position of the equinoctial points on the celestial sphere changes. From the point of the vernal equinox, right ascensions are counted along the celestial equator, longitudes along the ecliptic. Determining the position of this fictitious point on the celestial sphere is one of the main tasks of practical astronomy. The points of the spring and autumn equinoxes are indicated by the symbols of the zodiac corresponding to the constellations in which they were located at the time of Hipparchus (as a result of the prelude of the equinoxes, these points have shifted and are now, respectively, in the constellations of Pisces and Virgo): the spring equinox - the sign of Aries (♈), the autumn equinoxes are the sign of Libra (♎).

In addition, both equinoxes are a feature that changes the vector of correlation of latitude with the length of daylight hours to the opposite. That is, in the period from the spring equinox to the autumn, the duration of daylight hours in a more northern latitude exceeds that in a more southern latitude, and in the period from autumn to spring, vice versa.

The spring and autumn equinoxes are considered the astronomical beginning of the seasons of the same name. The interval between two equinoxes of the same name is called tropical year, which is used to measure time. The tropical year is approximately 365.2422 solar days, so the equinox falls at different times of the day, moving forward each time by almost 6 hours. The Julian year has 365¼ days. The intercalary day of a leap year returns the equinox to the previous number of the year. But the tropical year is slightly shorter than the Julian one, and the equinox is actually slowly receding in the Julian calendar. In the Gregorian chronology, due to the omission of 3 days in 400 years, it is almost motionless (the average Gregorian year is 365.2425 days).

The modern Gregorian calendar is designed so that the equinoxes fall on the same dates over the long term. However, slight fluctuations in the dates of the equinoxes do occur. The earliest dates of the equinoxes are in leap years, and the latest dates are in years before leap years.

During the existence of the Gregorian calendar, the record-breaking early equinoxes occurred in 1696: March 19, 15:5 pm - spring and September 22, 3:8 pm - autumn; and the latest in 1903: March 21, 19:15 - spring and September 24, 5:45 - autumn.

In the next 100 years, the earliest equinoxes will be in 2096: March 19, 14:07, spring and September 21, 22:58, autumn (which will be a record of early equinoxes for 400 years); and the latest in 2103 on March 21, 6:27 am - spring and September 23, 15:28 - autumn.

Speaking about the dates of the equinox, one should distinguish between the date according to universal time and the date for a specific time zone: if the equinox occurred before 24:00 universal time, in countries located west of the zero meridian, the next day has not yet arrived and local time will be considered the onset equinoxes 1 day earlier; if the equinox came after 24:00 UTC, then in countries located east of the zero meridian, the next day will already come and the date of the equinox will be 1 more.

It should also be noted that, according to the plan of the creators of the Gregorian calendar, the “official” date of the spring equinox is March 21 (literally “12th day before the April kalends”), because such a date of the spring equinox was at the time of the Council of Nicaea.

The last time in this century the vernal equinox fell on March 21st in 2007 and will fall on March 20th or even March 19th in the 21st century.

Peoples and religions in which the New Year begins on the equinox

Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bahai-Navruz, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan.

The bas-relief in Persepolis - a symbol of the Zoroastrian Navruz - on the day of the spring equinox, the forces of the eternally fighting bull, personifying the Earth, and the lion, personifying the Sun, are equal

Leap year

Leap year (lat. bis sextus- "second sixth") - a year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the duration of which is 366 days - one day more than the duration of a regular, non-leap year. In the Julian calendar, a leap year is every fourth year; in the Gregorian calendar, there are exceptions to this rule.

Introduction history

From January 1, 45 BC. e. Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar introduced a calendar developed by Alexandrian astronomers led by Sosigenes, which was based on the fact that the astronomical year is approximately equal to 365.25 days (365 days and 6 hours). This calendar is called Julian. In order to equalize the six-hour offset, the leap year. Three years were counted as 365 days, and in each year, a multiple of four, one additional day was added in February.

In the Roman calendar, days were counted in relation to the following kalendam(first day of the month) nonam(5th or 7th day) and idam(13th or 15th day of the month). So, the day of February 24 was designated as ante diem sextum calendas martii("the sixth day before the March kalends"). Caesar decided to add a second sixth by February ( bis sextus) the day before the March calendars, that is, the second day of February 24th. February was chosen as the last month of the Roman year. The first leap year was 45 BC. e.

Caesar was killed two years after the introduction of the new calendar, the second leap year began after his death. Perhaps this explains the fact that the priests who were responsible for the functioning of the calendar did not understand the principle of introducing an additional day every fourth year, and instead began to introduce an additional day in February every third year (it is assumed that they counted the fourth from the year preceding the leap year) . For 36 years after Caesar, there was a leap year every third year, and only then did Emperor Augustus restore the correct order of leap years (and also cancel several subsequent leap years to remove the accumulated additional shift). From a comparison of Roman and Egyptian dates in a papyrus found in 1999, it was found that leap years in Rome were 44, 41, 38, 35,32, 29, 26, 23, 20, 17, 14, 11, 8 years before n. e., 4, 8, 12 and thereafter every fourth year.

Gregorian calendar

The length of the tropical year (the time between the two vernal equinoxes) is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds. The difference in the duration of the tropical year and the average Julian calendar year (365.25 days) is 11 minutes 14 seconds. Of these 11 minutes and 14 seconds, approximately 128 years add up to one day.

After several centuries, a shift in the day of the vernal equinox, with which church holidays are associated, was noticed. By the 16th century, the vernal equinox occurred about 10 days earlier than March 21, which is used to determine the day of Easter.

To compensate for the accumulated error and avoid such a shift in the future, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII reformed the calendar. In order to better match the average calendar year to the solar year, it was decided to change the leap year rule. As before, a year was a leap year, the number of which is a multiple of four, but an exception was made for those that were a multiple of 100. Such years were leap years only when they were also divided by 400.

In other words, a year is a leap year in two cases: either it is a multiple of 4, but not a multiple of 100, or it is a multiple of 400. A year is not a leap year if it is not a multiple of 4, or it is a multiple of 100, but not a multiple of 400.

The last years of centuries ending in two zeros are not leap years in three cases out of four. So, the years 1700, 1800 and 1900 are not leap years, since they are a multiple of 100 and not a multiple of 400. The years 1600 and 2000 are leap years, since they are a multiple of 400. The years 2100, 2200 and 2300 are not leap years. In leap years, an extra day is introduced - February 29.

The last leap year was 2012, the next one will be 2016.

Jewish calendar

In the Jewish calendar, a leap year is a year to which a month is added, not a day. The reason for this is that the Hebrew calendar is based on a lunar month, and therefore a year of twelve months lags behind the astronomical solar year by about 11 days. To equate the lunar years with the solar year, a leap year of thirteen months was introduced. The 19-year cycle includes 12 common years and 7 leap years.

Engraving by William Hogarth with the slogan "Give us back our eleven days!", 1755

Solstice(also solstice) - an astronomical event, the moment of passage of the center of the Sun through the points of the ecliptic, the most distant from the equator of the celestial sphere and called the solstice points.

Equinox- an astronomical phenomenon when the center of the Sun in its apparent movement along the ecliptic crosses the celestial equator. When the Earth is observed from space on an equinox, the terminator passes along the geographic poles of the Earth and is perpendicular to the earth's equator.

These dates were among the most revered in the pre-Christian period. Solstice, rotation, equinox, solstice - the names of solar holidays, which are also called the four hypostases of the Slavic Dazhdbog, which is the Sun itself - the son of Svarog.

• Kolyada- winter solstice (December 21-22)
• Maslenitsa or Komoyeditsy- the day of the spring equinox (March 21-22)
• Kupailo (Kupala)- summer solstice (June 21-22)
• Radogoshch (Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen)- autumnal equinox (September 22-23)

Kolyada The winter solstice or the longest night of the year. During this period, the young sun Kolyada replaces the old sun Svetovit. Because the daylight hours from this day begins to increase. Replaced by the church on Christmas Day.

Maslenitsa or Komoyeditsy- the day of the spring equinox (day and night are equal in time), farewell to winter, burning of the effigy of Marena, meeting of spring and the Slavic New Year. The date March 21-22 is also the beginning of astronomical spring. From now on, the day becomes longer than the night. Yarilo-Sun replaces Kolyada and drives away Zima-Marena. Traditionally, this circle was celebrated for two whole weeks.

Kupailo- the day of the summer solstice. The longest day and shortest night of the year. The last day of the Rusal Week or Mermaids. Kupala is one of the oldest holidays that has preserved many traditions and customs unchanged to this day, for example: the funeral of Yarila, who is replaced by the God of the summer sun Kupala, the collection of medicinal herbs, the search for a fern flower, etc. Kupailo is also a great holiday, which is now replaced by the church on the birthday of John the Baptist.

Radogoshch(Svetovit, Veresen, Tausen) - the day of the autumn equinox (day and night are equal in time). On this day, the Sun-Old Man Svetovit takes over. The night is getting longer than the day. It is both a solar holiday and a holiday of the end of the harvest. Replaced by the church on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The position of the sun at the solstice

The periods between solstices are the time when the sun moves either higher above the horizon or lower.

Astronomers note that the movement of a hot star is similar to a sinusoid:

• after the winter solstice it rises daily
• after the summer - on the contrary, it falls lower

The angle created by the sun and the earth's horizon, in other words, the astronomical longitude of a hot star, is:

• 90° in June
• 270° in December

In astronomy, from the moment the Sun enters the zodiac sign of Taurus in June, summer is counted, and winter is counted in the sign of Sagittarius in December. A few days before and after the solstice, the hot celestial body “freezes” at one point at noon.

However, you won't see the sun directly overhead on the solstices.

If you are a resident of the northern hemisphere of the Earth, then:

• go 23.5° above the equator before the summer solstice to see the hot planet vertically above you,
• visit 23.5° south latitude to see a similar phenomenon during the winter solstice.

The position of the sun on the equinoxes

The equinoxes represent a milestone when the sun moves from the northern to the southern hemisphere in autumn and vice versa in spring. This is for the part of our planet that is located above the equator. The sun these days directs its rays in such a way that they evenly heat the entire part of the Earth turned towards it.

Another feature of these calendar dates is that the day before and after, as well as during the equinox, the sun rises clearly in the east and sets in the west. True, this phenomenon is typical only for 23.5 ° north or south latitude. Elsewhere there is a slight shift to the north or south.

Days of equinox and solstice: magic

These 4 days of the year have maximum energy, not only because of the change of times. The Slavs knew this very well and harmoniously built their lives in such a way as to streamline and develop their relationship with nature.

A common moment during the celebrations of all solstices and equinoxes among our ancestors were mass festivities.

The whole village gathered together:

• there were different games and fun
• there were round dances
• everyone ate
• praised the gods
• commemorated ancestors

Everything was fun, easy and natural.

• We still celebrate the summer solstice as Kupala. We are looking for the cherished fern flower in the hope of good luck and the fulfillment of a cherished dream.
• On the autumn equinox, the ancestors held a harvest festival. Adults cleaned the house, yard, and fields. Children decorated their homes with bunches of rowan. It was believed that she would protect the house and its inhabitants from evil all year round.

The winter solstice, or the birth of Kolyada, the young sun, was celebrated on a special scale. There was also a place:

• fortune-telling about the betrothed, marriage, weather for next year, harvest
• caroling and dressing up as animals to scare away dark forces
• jumping over the fire to burn all resentment, envy and similar sins

Three days before and the same after Kolyada had a special power. Mistresses put things in order in their heads and houses, attracted health and well-being to the life of the family. They watched the events of 12 days after Kolyada in order to understand what the coming year would bring for the family.

• The vernal equinox had a special power. Nature was waking up from its winter sleep, a new year was beginning to work on the earth.
• At that time pancakes were baked, there was Maslenitsa. But it lasted 2 weeks - one before, the second after the day of the equinox.
• Housewives baked larks, small birds made from sweet dough.
• In the evening, everyone jumped over the fires to renew themselves for a new round of life. For example, if an unmarried girl jumped, then she will definitely become the mother of a hero.

The calendar we are used to says that the year begins on the first of January and is divided into 12 months. But nature has its own laws, which, unfortunately, are poorly coordinated with astronomy. However, our ancestors knew and honored the laws of nature. The most important holiday in the annual cycle was the winter solstice - when will it be in 2018 and what practices are recommended for everyone?

Despite the enormous progress achieved, even modern technology is not able to break the magic of natural cycles: the lunar day will not change places, and summer will not come after autumn. And this is wonderful, because centuries-old traditions of our ancestors are associated with many phenomena, which should not be forgotten.

The frantic rhythm of life may not always help us to have time to do all our business and continue to be in harmony with the Universe, but if we are at least briefly distracted from the hustle and bustle, then we can, as experts say, “know Zen”, and put things in order in our attitude.

Winter Solstice 2018: when will it be

Holiday dates:

• December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere (these are all countries above the equator);
• June 20 or 21 - in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, most countries of Latin America, etc.).

The exact date depends on the year, it's all about the calendar shift due to leap years.

In 2018, the winter solstice will occur on December 22 at 01:23 am Moscow time. If you live in another region, you can calculate the time yourself, knowing Moscow.

On this day, the Sun reaches its lowest position. Further, at the end of December and January, it rises higher above the horizon, making daylight hours longer.

In astrology, on this day the Sun moves from the zodiac sign Sagittarius to the sign Capricorn, and the astrological winter begins (the period of the signs Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces).

The calendar of important cyclic natural events, which our ancestors guided, includes two solstice days per year - summer and winter. Both of them are very important, because they imply an astronomical event when the daytime celestial body occupies the highest or lowest point above the horizon. It goes without saying that, first of all, the length of the day depends on this: it can be either the longest or the shortest.

The winter solstice, which will take place from the twenty-first to the twenty-second of December, will be marked by a short daylight hours and the longest night of the year. According to Greenwich Mean Time, it will happen at 22:23, but if we take Moscow time, it will be 01:23, that is, the difference is two hours.

Winter Solstice: Traditions and Beliefs

The traditions of many peoples implied the celebration of the Winter Solstice, as it marked the birth of the new Sun. Among the ancient Celts, whose traditions echo in many cultures, this event was celebrated along with the Yule holiday.

By the day of the winter solstice, our ancestors tried to prepare their homes in a special way: a general cleaning was carried out, which meant getting rid of unnecessary rubbish, and the rooms and houses were decorated outside with fir branches. In the center of the main room, they tried to place something that would symbolize the Sun: it can be a craft of yellow or golden color, as well as a simple orange orange.

As during the summer solstice, bonfires were kindled on the Winter Solstice: the larger and brighter they were, the better. Our ancestors believed that in this way they help the new Sun to be reborn, and give it fiery forces to shine brightly and hotly. The day of the winter solstice among the Slavs was considered the New Year, which came immediately after the holiday of the Sun.

The celebration was called in honor of Kolyada, the god of the new Sun. He was also called Kaledi, Kadmus or Kolodiy, and this deity was considered a symbol of the transition of the year. It was celebrated on a large scale: they sang songs, arranged dances and feasts. From there, the tradition began to be sure to give loved ones at least some gifts, since our ancestors believed that stingy people would not find happiness in the new year.

Modern Traditions for Celebrating the Winter Solstice

Contemporaries do not always have the opportunity to go outside and make a big fire: at least in the metropolis, this will become an act of calling the fire department or neighborly anger. But we can celebrate the Winter Solstice, therefore it is better to focus on various practices and rituals. It sounds a little scary, however, do not be afraid: from those who have been involved in them for a long time, you can take only the basics, and draw the rest into your life intuitively.

For example, try meditation. Read about the easiest ways to do this, and remember: simple doesn't mean inefficient. On the Winter Solstice, a simple visualization technique can work: write a list of what you want to accomplish, or even better, make yourself a so-called “wish board” where you stick pictures of desired achievements.

Take a close look at everything you have created, or re-read the list you have made, close your eyes and imagine that everything has already come true. Inspire yourself with this thought, and don’t think differently: you already have everything, just you can’t use it yet. As experts say, after such practices, everything comes true in the shortest possible time, but on the condition that you do not sit idly by. And yet - you can tell fortunes using either cards or other materials at hand, or even the most ordinary dream.

Try also to conduct a ritual of "letting go of the past." On December 21, right at sunset, you should go outside or open the window wide. Take a piece of paper and a pen with you. While the old sun goes below the horizon, you need to try to remember all the bad and all the negative things that happened during the current year. It can be relationships with people, people themselves, illnesses, litigation, job changes, loss of money, unpleasant conflict situations. All this must be written on paper, and then this paper should be burned with fire. Leave to burn out just before the setting sun. All bad things will go away, along with the old sun. And the next morning, along with the new sun, the long-awaited cleansing and relief will come.

If you have no time to do this, then just make a wish, but formulate it correctly. Wait for the hour of the winter solstice, and go for it - most likely, your aspiration should be fulfilled soon and well. Specialists also conduct various magical practices on such days aimed at attracting money, good luck and love.

Table of winter solstices until 2025

Video - What are the remarkable days of the solstices and equinoxes:

Winter Solstice Festival in different cultures

Our distant ancestors were guided by natural phenomena and the movement of the Sun when calculating time periods. The winter solstice point was significant for the construction of such historical structures as:

• Stonehenge in the UK;
• Newgrange in Ireland.

Their main axes are oriented to sunrise and sunset on the solstices.

Ancient Roman Saturnalia

In ancient Rome, on the days of the solstice, they celebrated the feast of Saturnalia in honor of the god Saturn. The celebration lasted from 17 to 23 December. By this time, all agricultural efforts were completed. And people could indulge in celebration and fun.

It was customary to temporarily stop public affairs, send schoolchildren on vacation. It was even forbidden to punish criminals.

Slaves sat at the same table with the masters and were freed from daily work. There was a symbolic equalization of rights.

Crowds of celebrating walked in the streets. Everyone praised Saturn. On the days of Saturnalia, a pig was slaughtered as a sacrifice, and then they began to have fun. There was a tradition of gift exchange, which later moved to the modern Christmas and New Year.

Yule among the ancient Germans

This is a medieval holiday, one of the main ones of the year. It was celebrated with great pomp. The word "yule" was called the longest night of the year, which fell on the winter solstice.

It was believed that on this day the King of Oak was reborn, he warmed the frozen earth and gave life to the seeds in the soil, which were stored for a long winter, in order to germinate and give a harvest by spring.

People kindled fires in the fields. It was customary to drink the alcoholic drink cider. Children went from house to house with gifts. Baskets were woven from the branches of evergreens and ears of wheat, and apples and cloves were folded into them, which were sprinkled with flour.

Apples are a symbol of the sun and immortality, and wheat is a symbol of a good harvest. Flour meant light and success.

The houses were also decorated with branches of trees: ivy, holly, mistletoe. It was believed that this helps to call the spirits of nature to join the holiday. Spirits could bestow a happy life on the household.

On the holiday of Yule, the burning of a ritual log, the decoration of the Yule tree (the prototype of the New Year tree) and the exchange of gifts were carried out. The image of a log has been preserved in many countries to this day.

Holiday in Christianity

In Christianity, Christmas is celebrated these days. In the Catholic tradition, it comes on December 24, when the Sun, after passing its lowest point, is “reborn” again and rises higher.

It is believed that when Christianity replaced paganism, the new Christian holidays merged with pagan ones. So Christmas appeared in its modern form with a decorated Christmas tree and gifts for relatives and friends. Indeed, in fact, this is the celebration of the birth of Christ, but it is celebrated very similarly to the medieval Yule.

In Orthodoxy, due to the use of the Julian calendar, the date is 2 weeks behind the solstice, the Orthodox celebrate Christmas on January 7th. However, historically it is the same date. It's just that over the course of two thousand years, the solstice point has shifted by half a month.

Holiday in Slavic culture

The Slavs celebrated the day of Karachun, the harsh deity of winter. They believed that Karachun brings winter cold to the earth, plunging nature into a winter sleep.

Another name for the deity is Korochun, which means "the shortest." The winter solstice preceded the rebirth of the Sun.

Bonfires were burned everywhere, which were designed to help the Sun triumph over death and be reborn. After Karachun, the nights were waning, and the daylight hours were getting longer.

Subsequently, this deity turned into Frost - a gray-haired old man, from whose breath bitter frosts begin, and rivers are covered with ice. The Slavs believed that if Frost hit a hut with a staff, the logs would crack.

Frost does not like those who are afraid of him and hide, complain about the cold and quickly get cold. But for those who are not afraid of him, he gives rosy cheeks, strength of mind and good mood. This is reflected in the fairy tale "Morozko".

Video - winter solstice