Shortest Day of Year Northern Hemisphere

8 years ago

Yes, shortest day for us, longest day for southern hemisphere.
In my location, it will be at 5:03 pm local time on Dec 21st.

I give you a link below to calculate the hour for your location.

It is an occasion that for years a cousin and I would celebrate with champagne and eggs benedict at the exact hour, even when it was 4am. This year, it is a reasonable hour, and what will happen at our house is the easier version, just champagne and cheese at the bistro table moved to our new deck for the sunset celebration. We'll be observing the hosta garden of untipped dormant containers behind the lattice shade screen.

With the sun at a -23.5 degree off its high summer path, our days are much cooler, and the hosta are kept in shade almost all day long. We've also had no rain to speak of, and therefore crown rot is not an issue YET.

So if you have a spare moment this last weekend before Christmas week, take a moment to mark the beginning of the winter season. Spring is a mere 90 something days away.

Cheers.....and "down the hatch!"

Here is a link that might be useful: Calculate YOUR Winter Solstice hour

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Comments (13)

peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
8 years ago
Thank you for this moccasinlanding.
Here it is Dec.21 but at 6:03 EST
It always cheers me to know the days will be getting longer.
The climb back to SPRING begins lol!
sherrygirl zone5 N il
8 years ago
7:13 am til 4:23 pm here. I guess that is the best way to look at this Mocc. It only gets better from here on!

Sherry
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bkay2000
8 years ago
I had this great post about a sculpture in Dallas. But, it turns out that it's timed to the equinox, not the solstice.

Thanks for sharing. My time will be the same as yours.

A glass of champagne would be a nice touch.

bk
mountainy man z8 Ireland
8 years ago
It can't come soon enough, these short dark wet days drive me crazy, mabey i should hibernate.

Denis
mountainy man z8 Ireland
8 years ago
I just read this article and it messed with what I thought I knew about this stuff,

Denis

Here is a link that might be useful: A grand stretch in the evening!
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
8 years ago
Odd but true, Denis. Because the Earth is not a perfect sphere, the earliest sunsets happen before the solstice and the latest sunrises will happen in early January. The 21st will, however, still be the shortest day. Since I'm more likely to see a sunset than a sunrise, I'm already doing the polka.

tj
User
Original Author
8 years ago
It is also a great time to make note of the length of your shadows on the northern side of your home. I usually take pictures of it, because the shade is some distance up the wooden privacy fence to the north. First day of summer (longest day/shortest night), the shadow is against the house itself, no shade to the north except directly beneath the shrubbery

And, it is raining here, finally finally finally. It was as dry a late fall as I've known in Mobile. And it is 51 F. The carpenters arrived early this morning to cut and install our hurricane panels over the window openings.
Jon 6a SE MA
8 years ago
6:03 PM here. It is impossible (or almost) to get excited about miniscule changes in daylight.

2:00 AM on Sunday March 8 when the clocks Spring ahead is the time to celebrate...for me anyway.

Jon
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
8 years ago
For us out here in Canada's lotus land, it will be @ 15.03 and I doubt we'll be on the patio celebrating the occasion. I will however revel in delight that Christmas Day will be 4 minutes more daylight then we have today! YEAH, it may be called winter, but the days are lengthening and that's what we all look forward to.

Before I forget, MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all!

Pieter
Babka NorCal 9b
8 years ago
It will be in the middle of the day here, just after 3pm, so perhaps a beer will do...while watching a football game.

-Babka
bragu_DSM 5
8 years ago
Remember: go around the yard and take pictures. It will reveal the deep shade ... No wait. We do that in June (hey mocc ;)). Best of the off-season to all, and may visions of hosta seedlings permeate your winter hibernatory slumbers!

Dave
User
Original Author
8 years ago
Oh Bragu, I take pictures of the shade now too. In the Summer Solstice the sun is at its northern extreme, no shade on the north side of my house, but instead it is on the south side.

When it is the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox, then they are equal. I am always interested in the shade patterns at these times for any house I live in. Any garden I plant.

Enjoy the day, knowing that we will be bottomed out and headed toward spring.
bragu_DSM 5
8 years ago
as the days get longer, now is the time for winter sowing. I have so many seeds, but have been derelicts saving containers Ã¢ÂÂ¦ go figure

dave

Shortest Day of Year Northern Hemisphere

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peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada

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