Winter starts this Sunday, December 21st, at 23:03. It is at this time that the winter solstice occurs (in the northern hemisphere), thus marking the end of autumn.
This is the smallest day of the year, and the one on which the sun, at midday, reaches its minimum height throughout the year. But there is also good news: from now on, the days start to grow, until the Summer Solstice, which will take place on June 21, at 16:38 (UTC).
On this 21st of December, Porto saw the sun rise at 7:56 am and set at 17:09 pm, totaling only 9:13 am of daylight.
Em Faro, was born at 7:41 am and sets at 17:18 pm (9:47 day length), while in Funchal, birth and sunset occur at 8:06 am and 18:06 pm (10:00 am light), respectively.
In Ponta Delgada, since the Azores are less than an hour away from the mainland, the sun rose at 8:54 am and sets at 18:27 pm (totaling 9:33 in the day).
the solstice (from latin solstitium, associated with the idea that the Sun should be stationary, when reaching its highest or lowest position in the sky) is the moment when the sun reaches its maximum and minimum height positions in relation to the equator, as explained by the Astronomical Observatory from Lisbon.
Since ancient times, the solstice has been celebrated, and Christmas is related to the Christianization of this traditional festival, which symbolized the rebirth, the restart, the sun and the moment when light conquered darkness, because from then on the days would return to be bigger.
In history, there is no lack of references to the winter solstice, an important date in ancient Rome or in pre-Christian Europe, nor ceremonies to mark it even today, from China to the countries of South America.
In Portugal, a tradition that is still maintained in the Bragança area, the caretos or “boys' party”, is a winter solstice festival.
The pagan festivals that were traditionally held to celebrate the winter solstice and honor the sun will have, from the fourth century onwards, been associated with Christmas, a Christian feast that marks the birth of Jesus.
Winter will last for 89 days, until the next equinox, of spring, which will arrive on March 20, at 22:45, in a night as big as day.
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