Winter Solstice: A Midwinter's Tradition Over The Millennia

CLEVELAND, OH -- Today is the least amount of daylight of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Many cultures over the millennia have celebrated the Winter Solstice, as it known, or Yule or midwinter as a time of rebirth.

At Stonehenge in western England, the rising sun peeks through the stones that were placed in such a way that it provides a perfect window to the new sun. It’s an astronomical phenonomen.

Today at 11:28 EST, the sun will hit the Tropic of Capricorn and marking the deepest and longest part of the winter.

In Ireland, people entered a lottery for a chance to stand around the Newgrange stone and bang drums in a Celtic tradition that is thousands of years old. The Newgrange stone is dated by archaeologists at 5,200 years old – pre-dating Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

For the rest of us, today marks four more days to shop for those Christmas gift we still need to buy.

If you want to get into the spirit of the Winter Solstice, you can join other and Dance Your Soulstice at the Open Space from 7-9 p.m. Admission is $10. The Open Space is in the Art Craft Building, 2530 Superior Avenue.

Merry Christmas!

Photo Of Stonehenge By Matt Cardy/Stringer