10 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

The shortest day of the year (which falls on December 21 in 2024) tends to get some people down, but in centuries past the lack of sunlight wasn’t merely the cause of winter blues—the season also brought with it the very real threats of starvation and freezing temperatures, so cultures around the world performed rituals on the winter solstice for the return of the sun. While some of these celebrations have been left in the past—or absorbed into other winter festivities, such as Christmas—others are still celebrated to this day to try to bring a little light to the darkest day.

1. Yule // Northern Europe
2. Saturnalia // The Roman Empire
3. Dongzhi // China and Taiwan
4. Midwinter Day // Antarctica
5. Inti Raymi // South America
6. Soyal // Arizona
7. Toji // Japan
8. Shab-e-Yalda // The Middle East and Central Asia
9. St. Lucia’s Day // Sweden
10. Winter Solstice at Stonehenge // England

Yule // Northern Europe

These days, the word Yuletide is essentially a synonym for Christmastime, but Yule was originally a celebration of the winter solstice, which takes place a few days before December 25. Although the origins of Yule are a little hazy thanks to it being thousands of years old, it’s thought to have been an ancient Norse holiday celebrated across Northern Europe. In addition to feasting and drinking, Yule traditions include hanging mistletoe, singing carols, and lighting fires. When Christianity began to sweep across Europe during the 9th century CE, Yule started being replaced by Christmas (although many of its elements carried over). 

A few traditions that still bear the Yule name include the burning of a Yule log, which is now more commonly featured in ambient videos, and the Yule log cake, or bûche de Noël, which is a roulade that is decorated to look like a log. And in Scandinavian countries, Yule goats can be found as Christmas tree ornaments and sometimes even as massive straw sculptures.

Saturnalia // The Roman Empire

Another ancient festival that was eventually absorbed into Christmas is the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, which was celebrated in honor of the Roman god Saturn. The festivities began on December 17 and usually lasted a full week, with all businesses closing down for the period. Huge banquets were held and plenty of alcohol was drunk. “Who can sing of the spectacle, the unrestrained mirth, the banqueting, the unbought feast, the lavish streams of wine? Ah! now I faint, and drunken with thy liquor drag myself at last to sleep,” wrote poet Statius after attending one of Emperor Domitian’s lavish feasts during the 1st century CE.

In addition to being a time of partying, Saturnalia was also a time of reversal—enslaved people were temporarily freed, gambling was legal, and a mock king (Saturnalicius princeps) was crowned. Gift-giving was also an important part of the holiday; candles were a particularly popular choice. Christians later co-opted the pagan winter celebration—although some, such as the 17th-century Puritan settlers in Massachusetts, rejected the non-Christian roots of Christmas and the merrymaking that went along with it and banned the holiday.

Dongzhi // China and Taiwan

There’s an old Chinese saying that “Winter Solstice is as big as the new year” (冬至大如年, Dōngzhì dà rú nián). Celebrating Dongzhi—which literally means “winter’s arrival”—dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1045 BCE–256 BCE), but it didn’t become an official holiday until the Han Dynasty (206 BCE –220 CE). Although Chinese New Year is the bigger event these days, the winter solstice—which marks the return of both the sun and yang energy—is still celebrated. Families often gather together and enjoy special foods. In southern China, it’s tradition to eat tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls), while in northern China, people favor jiaozi (savory dumplings). Legend has it that famed Han Dynasty physician Zhang Zhongjing invented the hot dumplings as a cure for frostbite.

Midwinter Day // Antarctica

Winter in Antarctica is particularly bleak. Not only does polar night mean that the sun doesn’t fully rise for several weeks, but there’s no one around apart from those overwintering at research bases. To bring some joy to the darkest day, the few people left working throw a Midwinter celebration—which takes places in June due to Antarctica being in the Southern Hemisphere. 

The tradition was started in 1902 by the British explorers of the Discovery expedition. Robert Falcon Scott, the leader of the mission, noted in his journal that the ship was decorated “with designs in coloured papers and festooned with chains and ropes” and that “the tables were loaded with plum puddings, mince pies, and cakes.” The solstice celebration was so fun that the men “agreed that life in the Antarctic regions was worth living.” Other Antarctic expeditions carried on this tradition—including those led by Ernest Shackleton—as have the people at the various present-day research bases. 

The focus on food has remained a staple of Midwinter to this day. Along with having an extravagant meal, people exchange handmade gifts (there aren’t any shops in which to buy presents) and listen to messages from loved ones back home. Some brave souls even streak through the snow, while others watch the Antarctic-set horror film The Thing (1982). 

Inti Raymi // South America

Another midwinter celebration that takes place in June is Inti Raymi (Sun Festival), which honors the Incan god of the sun, Inti. Incan Emperor Pachacuti—for whom Machu Picchu might have been built as a royal retreat—started the festival in 1430, with revelers donning colorful outfits, dancing, and sacrificing animals. Inti Raymi was put on pause in 1535 by Spanish colonizers, who banned the Inca religion and instead enforced Catholicism. It wasn’t until 1944 that Inti Raymi was back on the calendar thanks to Faustino Espinoza Navarro piecing together what took place during the festival from the writings of Garciloso de la Vega. 

The modern day festivities in Cusco, Peru, attract thousands of people. The event takes place in three stages and places. Prayers are first given at Qorikancha (the Sun Temple); then a procession of dancers, musicians, and performers walks to Plaza de Armas for a coca leaf-reading; and finally everyone ends up at the Sacsayhuamán fortress, where further rituals and dances are performed (although no llamas are actually sacrificed these days!).

Smaller Inti Raymi celebrations also take place in other South American countries, including Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia.

Soyal // Arizona

The Hopi people, who mainly live in northern Arizona, mark the shortest day of the year with a ceremony called Soyal. The celebration welcomes back protective spirits known as Kachinas; these spirits live in the mountains for half of the year and bring back the sun during the winter solstice. Although the ritual isn’t open for public viewing, it’s known to involve singing and dancing. Prayer sticks called “pahos” are also made to bless the community and children are commonly given wooden kachina dolls.

Toji // Japan

In Japan, people mark the winter solstice by taking warm baths full of the citrus fruit yuzu; it’s thought that bathing in the fruit-filled water will bring both good luck and good health. Although the exact origin of the fragrant tradition is unknown, some people think it can be traced back to the Buddhist belief of hot water purging impurities. Others think the phenomenon started thanks to phonetics, with winter solstice (冬至) and hot-spring cure (湯治) both being pronounced “toji.” Where the yuzu crept into either of these theories is unclear, but it likely involves the fruit’s frost hardiness. Yuzu baths aren’t solely reserved for humans either—since the early 1980s, zoos across Japan have provided warm yuzu baths for capybaras to enjoy throughout winter. 

Food also plays an important part in Japanese toji celebrations, with people traditionally eating kabocha squash due to it being a hardy winter vegetable. Foods that end with the letter n—such as ninjin (carrots) and udon (noodles)—are also popular choices due to the n sound being considered auspicious because the word for fortune is un (運).

Shab-e-Yalda // The Middle East and Central Asia

Shab-e-Yalda, also called “Chelleh,” has been celebrated in Iran since the rule of the Persian Empire, and is also commonly observed in the nearby countries of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Shab-e-Yalda celebrates the first sunrise after the winter solstice, with shab meaning “night” and yalda meaning “to birth,” “rebirth,” and “light.” The celebration can be traced back to the pre-Zoroastrian custom of worshipping the sun God Mithra. Ancient Persians thought evil spirits were at their strongest during the longest night of the year, so they would stay up all night to ward them off until the sun rose. To stay awake, people would tell stories and eat; watermelon and pomegranate were traditionally important because their red color is reminiscent of the sunrise. Consuming these summer fruits was thought to maintain good health through the winter months.

St. Lucia’s Day // Sweden

Although Sweden’s midsummer festival is more widely known to global audiences these days—largely thanks to 2019 horror film Midsommar—the country’s midwinter festival, St. Lucia’s Day, is just as big a deal. The day celebrates Christian martyr Lucia of Syracuse, who delivered food to persecuted Christians hiding in catacombs from the Romans. It’s said she wore a wreath of candles on her head to light her way because her hands were full. 

St. Lucia’s Day became a fixture during the 1900s—although it was observed earlier—and is celebrated on December 13, which is the winter solstice according to the Julian calendar (the date stuck even after Sweden switched to the Gregorian calendar). Candle-lit processions, called “Luciatåg,” take place throughout the country, with each procession being led by a girl wearing a white dress, red sash, and a candle-lit wreath on her head to represent St. Lucia. Everyone else in the procession dresses up as handmaidens (tärnor), star boys (stjärngossar), and gingerbread men (pepparkaksgubbar). Food is also an integral part of the festivities (given that Lucia was delivering food); an S-shaped saffron-flavored bun called “lussekatter” is the traditional treat, and glögg (mulled wine) and coffee are the drinks of choice. 

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge // England

There’s a lot of speculation about why Stonehenge was built—ranging from being a huge musical instrument to a representation of the solar system created by aliens. But whoever arranged the stones almost definitely did so with the intention of framing the rays of the sun at both midwinter and midsummer. 

It’s thought that midwinter may have been the more important celebration to the Neolithic people who built Stonehenge due to the many animal bones found at a nearby settlement, which indicates a large feast was likely held. Regardless, midwinter is certainly celebrated at the stones these days. 

Stonehenge is usually roped off from the public. But people actually have access to it during both solstices. Although those in attendance have different spiritual beliefs—there’s a high number of neo-druids, neo-pagans, and Wiccans, but also secular people and followers of traditional faiths—they’re all there for the same reason. “The winter solstice marks the turning of the year, the return of the light and end of the long, dark nights. It evokes the start or perhaps hope for something new,” Dr. Jennifer Wexler, a historian at English Heritage, tellsThe Guardian.

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