Winter solstice The word "solstice" is derived from the Latin word meaning to "stop" or "to stand still". The winter solstice, or "Yule" occurs on December 21 or 22 every year in the northern hemisphere. It is on one of these dates every year, at different times that the sun is furthest away from the earth's equator in the tropic of Capricorn. On this day, there are fewer hours of daylight, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. From this point onward, the days slowly become longer until summer solstice is reached, which is June 21 or 22, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere when the sun shines directly through the tropic of Cancer. In the southern hemisphere, these dates are reversed. As the earth rotates on its tilted axis, the seasons change as the northern and southern hemispheres trade alignments; when it is summer in the northern hemisphere it is tilted toward the sun, and the southern hemisphere is tilted away, and there it is winter. The winter solstice is looked upon as the day of the return of the sun. Many cultures celebrate or celebrated a holiday within a few days of the winter solstice, including the most well known, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Some of the traditional rituals have been replaced by the present Christmas Day holiday, but there are movements toward getting back to the solstice and traditions celebrated by our early ancestors. Jewish celebrations have long been centered on the eight days of Hanukkah, and the Festival of Lights. Native Americans also have traditional celebrations like their ancestors praying for fertility, health, warmth, and good fortune. Ancient Indian populations built great places of worship around the solstices and accommodated ritualistic practices, which revolved around the sun and moon. Some of these structures are still visible today-Stonehenge is the most popular example. The sun symbolically represents the celestial ruler or the male divinity. For Pagans, the winter solstice was celebrated as a time to honor their gods. The winter festival was called the "yule", and great yule logs, which were believed to make the sun shine more brightly, were burned as people gathered around bonfires and drank while listening to the minstrels singing ancient songs. As Christianity became more widely practiced, people who still followed the old Pagan ways were converted, and their celebration of the solstices was replaced by celebration of Christmas, the Christian holiday. However, many practices have pagan origins, and continue to be considered traditional; yule logs, gifts, lights, mistletoe, holly, carols, and huge feasts are all included.