Winter solstice Dec 21, 2025

Ever felt as if the night just wouldn"t end? That"s the winter solstice working its magic. It is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring around December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, the same happens around June 21 or 22. It marks the moment when one of Earth"s poles tilts farthest from the sun. From that instant, daylight slowly begins to lengthen again.

© Schon/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Rainbow around the sun
Dec 21, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 21, 2024Happy winter solstice!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 14, 2024Fishing boats at Coco Beach in Goa
Heaven meets Earth!
An ocean of stars above the desert
An anglers paradise
The worlds most exclusive beach?
Trusty water-shifters
Jun 19, 2024Reticulated giraffe mother greeting calf in Kenya
A ghost on the mountain
This magical beach is worth the hike
May 12, 2024Mothers Day
Where is this hidden waterfall?
Sep 15, 2025Black-winged stilts, France
Feb 13, 2025Lake Tyrrell, Victoria, Australia
So fresh, so clean
Jan 13, 2024Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii, USA
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
Aug 21, 2023Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
Where two continents meet
Oct 16, 2025Eurasian lynx
A mirror reflecting natures beauty
Dec 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
Feb 10, 2026Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain
Stripes in sight
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Nov 28, 2025Val Brandet, Brescia, Lombardy, Italy
Feb 26, 2026Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Jul 24, 2025Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad, Gujarat