It may feel like we’ve been in the depths of winter for a while now – temperatures have dropped close to freezing and the sun goes down long before you leave the office – but it’s actually only just begun. And if you go by the astronomical calendar, we’ve still got three weeks before winter officially kicks in.
For the people that define the seasons by the positions of the planets, wintertime begins with the shortest day of the year: the winter solstice. The good news is that after that, the sun will gradually set later, meaning days will slowly get longer again.
Here’s everything you should know about the shortest day of the year in 2025, from the date and time to how to celebrate the solstice.
What date is the shortest day of the year?
The shortest day of 2025, also known as winter solstice, will be Sunday, December 21.
How long is the shortest day of the year in the UK?
The exact length of the day will differ slightly according to where in the UK you are, but on average it’ll last around 7 hours and 50 minutes. The further north you are, the shorter the day will be.
What is winter solstice?
The solstice isn’t actually a full day but a specific moment when the sun appears to stand still above the Tropic of Capricorn. It occurs when the Earth turns on its axis, to the point where its poles reach their maximum tilt away from the sun.
If you follow the astronomical calendar, which is based on the position of the planets, the winter solstice marks the first day of winter. But if you go by the meteorological calendar, the one used by weather forecasters, winter began on December 1.
What time is winter solstice?
This year, the winter solstice will be at 3.03pm.
How to celebrate winter solstice
Stonehenge holds the UK’s most famous winter solstice celebration. Every year, the ancient monument hosts a winter solstice ceremony, with crowd gathering in the early hours of the morning to see the sunrise over its stones. For 2025, Stonehenge will open at 5.15am, with sunrise taking place at around 8.09am.
If you can’t or don’t want to make it all the way down to Somerset, English Heritage will stream the solstice at Stonehenge on its YouTube channel.
Is winter solstice always on the same day?
Nope. The exact date and time of the winter solstice varies slightly each year, as the time it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun doesn't perfectly align with the 365-day Gregorian calendar year. It falls on December 21 or 22 most years.
When do clocks go forward?
In 2026, the clocks will go forward on March 29 at 1am.
What date is the longest day of the year in 2026?
The longest day of the year (the day of the summer solstice) will be June 21.
Will the UK get a white Christmas?
Sorry to disappoint, but at the moment it looks like the UK probably won’t be getting a white Christmas. You can see the long-range UK weather forecast for Christmas 2025 here.
Embrace the cold and check out the best places to go for winter in the UK.
Did you see that the UK is launching a new passport?
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