Quick Quiz: Winter Solstice

Question: Which is true about the winter solstice?

Answer: Since the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky on the winter solstice, that day has the least daylight and longest night.

Question: The winter solstice marks the beginning of winter. What marks the end of winter?

Answer: The vernal equinox marks the end of winter.

Question: How many times does the winter solstice happen each year?

Answer: The winter solstice is the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest south in the Northern Hemisphere (December 21 or 22) and farthest north in the Southern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21). 

Question: What is different about the winter solstice?

Answer: At the winter solstice the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the least daylight and the longest night. 

Question: In many cultures, what does the winter solstice symbolize?

Answer: After the solstice, the days get longer, and the day has thus been celebrated in many cultures as a time of rebirth.