Winter Solstice: Myths, Meanings and the Wildest Celebrations Around the World

You could celebrate by jumping off a 50ft pole, eating sheep’s head and lighting candles on a 3ft high mound. Or you could just visit Stonehenge, the choice is yours.

Naomi Chadderton

An experienced editor and journalist specialising in news and lifestyle.

Let’s face it, this time of year is about as cheerful as a wet sock, particularly if you reside somewhere like the UK where temperatures regularly drop below zero, winds slap you silly and the rain is attacking you from all directions. Fear not, dear readers, as brighter days are coming – we just have to get through the Winter Solstice first.

What is the Winter Solstice?

Also known as the hibernal solstice, the Winter Solstice happens when either one of our planet’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice every year, once for the Northern hemisphere and once for the Southern hemisphere, kicking off their winter seasons in December.

When is the Winter Solstice?

In line with that, the astronomical winter season is due to come to an end on Thursday, March 20, 2025. In 2024, the shortest day of the year will occur on Saturday, December 21 and, in line with that, the astronomical winter season is due to come to an end on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Five Weird and Wonderful Winter Solstice Myths From Cultures Around the World

1Japan: Amaterasu and the Rock Cave

In Shinto mythology, the Sun goddess Amaterasu retreats to a cave after being angered by her brother, plunging the world into darkness. To lure her out and restore light, other gods throw a festival filled with laughter and music, parallelling the Solstice as the return of light after the darkest time of the year.

Traditional painting of the sun goddess Amatseru

2Celtic Tradition: The Holly King and the Oak King

The Celts believed in a mythical battle between the Holly King and the Oak King during the Solstices. On Winter Solstice, the Oak King defeats the Holly King, symbolising the lengthening of days and the return of light. This idea of opposing forces mirrors the balance between darkness and light.

Graphic illustration of the Holly King passing his crown to the Oak King

3Germanic and Scandinavian Lore: The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession of spirits led by Odin (or other local deities), is said to occur during the dark nights of the Solstice season. Witnessing the hunt could bring misfortune or a warning of death. This eerie tradition reflects the mysterious and ominous nature of the long winter nights.

Painted artists depiction of The Wild Hunt

4Scotland: Cailleach, the Winter Witch

Cailleach is a hag-like figure who rules the dark half of the year. She gathers firewood in the fall to sustain her power through winter, but her reign begins to wane after the Solstice as light returns, encapsulating the battle between winter’s chill and spring’s warmth.

Graphic illustration of Scotlands Cailleach, the Winter Witch

5.Finland: the Goddess of the North Louhi

The Finnish legend explained that the Goddess of the North Louhi would kidnap the moon and the sun, and hold them captive inside a mountain, which caused the cold, dark days of winter.

Vintage Illustration of the Goddess of the North Louhi

The Most Wild and Wonderful Winter Solstice Celebrations and Traditions Across the World

Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rites. Today we still celebrate the long and dark night that marks the turning point of the sun’s journey back to us and, while Brits may simply visit the prehistoric rock wonder that is Stonehenge, other countries do things a little differently…

Mongolia's Nine Nines. Herdman in the snow

Iceland’s The Þorrablót Festival

Harking back to Icelandic pagan times, Iceland’s Þorrablót is like a love letter to winter, originally revolving around sacrifices to Þorri, the personification of Old Man Winter. Back in the day, the festival was a big deal, until Christianity showed up around 1000 A.D. and Þorrablót had to go underground.

Fast-forward to modern times, and the festival is back, though with less pagan ritual and more adventurous eating. On the menu? Things like sviðakjammi (sheep head, eyes included), súr hvalur (pickled whale blubber), and the infamous hákarl - fermented Greenland shark with a smell so intense it’s been described as an edible dare. Brave enough to dig in? You’ll need an iron stomach, and maybe a nose plug.

Mongolia’s The Nine Nines

Mongolia’s winters are brutally cold, so locals devised The Nine Nines, a system of nine-day chunks to track the season’s progress. Starting the day after the Winter Solstice, each ‘Nine’ marks milestones, like vodka made from milk freezing during the first and ox horns freezing by the fourth. By the fifth, the weather starts easing, signalled when boiled rice stops congealing. This centuries-old tradition, created by nomadic herders, helps break winter into manageable parts and keeps hope alive as spring slowly approaches.

Taiwan’s The Dongzhi Festival

Dongzhi, the Winter Solstice festival celebrated across East Asia, is a time for family, food, and traditions. In Taiwan, people enjoy hot pots filled with mutton or duck to combat the cold and recharge for the year ahead - a favourite treat is tangyuan, glutinous rice dumplings in sweet soup that symbolise warmth (yang) to counter winter's chill (yin). Along with festive meals, families honour ancestors by offering them food.

Iran’s Yalda Night

Iranian people celebrate Yaldā night, the night of the winter solstice by getting all the family together, at the house of the oldest person, and eat nuts, pomegranates and watermelons, drink and read poetry.

Guatemala’s Danza de los Voladores

One of the most daring Winter Solstice rituals is Guatemala’s polo voladore, or Flying Pole dance. Performed by Mayan Indians to honour the sun god, participants climb a 50ft pole with a rope tied to one foot. As music plays, they leap off, spinning as they descend. Landing on their feet is seen as a sign of success, pleasing the sun god and ensuring his return.

Ohio’s The Lighting of the Serpent

This US celebration involves the lighting of candles on a 400m long, 3ft high prehistoric mound in the shape of a snake. It is believed to have been built in AD400 by Native Americans.

Global Orgasm

In 2006, activists Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell launched Global Orgasm, a worldwide event with a unique mission: people everywhere having orgasms while focusing their thoughts on peace. The idea? Channel collective positive energy for global harmony. Held each December, participants are given a generous 24-hour window to, well, get in the mood. Can't quite "get there" on cue? No problem - what matters is the intention behind it!