The short answer
The winter solstice 2026 happens on Monday, December 21, 2026, at 20:50 UTC, which is 3:50 p.m. Eastern and 12:50 p.m. Pacific time. It marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the official start of astronomical winter.
- Date: Monday, Dec. 21, 2026, in every U.S. time zone
- Exact moment: 3:50 p.m. EST, 2:50 p.m. CST, 1:50 p.m. MST, 12:50 p.m. PST
- Daylight: about 9 hours 15 minutes in New York City, 9 hours 53 minutes in Los Angeles
- Days get longer: starting Dec. 22, slowly at first, then by roughly 30 minutes by late January
- Next one: Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2027, at 9:42 p.m. EST
20:50 UTC
Solstice moment, Dec. 21, 2026
9h 15m
Daylight in New York City
3h 42m
Daylight in Fairbanks, Alaska
23.5°
Earth’s axial tilt, the reason for seasons
In this article
The winter solstice is the moment each year when the sun reaches its lowest point in the sky at noon for the Northern Hemisphere, which gives us the shortest stretch of daylight of the year. In other words, it is a single instant, not a whole day, even though most of us think of it as “the shortest day.” For the winter solstice 2026, that instant falls on the afternoon of Monday, December 21, across the entire United States.
Below, you will find the exact time in every U.S. time zone, sunrise and sunset times for major cities, why the earliest sunset actually comes weeks before the solstice, and the traditions that people have built around this turning point for thousands of years. If you are planning the rest of your December, our complete Christmas 2026 guide picks up just four days later.
When Is the Winter Solstice 2026?
The winter solstice 2026 takes place on Monday, December 21, 2026, at 20:50 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC, the global time standard). Because that moment lands in the afternoon on the East Coast and around midday on the West Coast, the date is December 21 for everyone in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii.
Astronomical tables from The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Star Walk list the same time, 3:50 p.m. EST. We also cross-checked it with a standard astronomical calculation, which put the solstice at 20:50 UTC. Note that a few websites still circulate a different time (20:30 UTC), so treat 20:50 UTC as the figure that matches the published tables.
What time is the winter solstice 2026 in my time zone?
The solstice happens at the same instant worldwide, so only the clock reading changes. Since daylight saving time ended on Nov. 1, every U.S. zone is on standard time in December.
| Time zone | Local time of the solstice | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (EST) | 3:50 p.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Central (CST) | 2:50 p.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Mountain (MST), including Arizona | 1:50 p.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Pacific (PST) | 12:50 p.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Alaska (AKST) | 11:50 a.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Hawaii (HST) | 10:50 a.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| UTC / London (GMT) | 8:50 p.m. | Mon, Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 7:50 a.m. | Tue, Dec. 22, 2026 |
Meanwhile, readers in the UK will see the solstice at 8:50 p.m. on Dec. 21. In Australia and New Zealand, however, the clock has already rolled over to Tuesday, Dec. 22, and for them it is the summer solstice.
What Is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is the point in Earth’s orbit when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the sun. As a result, the sun’s direct rays fall on the Tropic of Capricorn, the line of latitude 23.5 degrees south of the equator, and the north gets its least daylight of the year.
The word itself comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), according to the Almanac. That name fits because, for a few days around the solstice, the sun’s noontime height barely changes before it starts climbing again.
Why is it the shortest day of the year?
It is the shortest day because Earth’s axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees, and in December the Northern Hemisphere leans away from the sun. According to the National Weather Service, this tilt, not our distance from the sun, causes the seasons. In fact, Earth is closest to the sun (perihelion) in early January, during northern winter.
Because the sun traces its lowest, shortest arc across the sky on the solstice, it rises late, sets early and never climbs very high. That is also why shadows at noon are at their longest of the year.
Is the winter solstice the first day of winter?
Yes, astronomically speaking. Astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice and ends at the March equinox, which falls on Saturday, March 20, 2027, at about 4:24 p.m. EDT. However, meteorologists use a simpler calendar: NOAA counts meteorological winter as December, January and February, so it starts on Dec. 1.
What happens in the Southern Hemisphere?
South of the equator, the same moment is the summer solstice, so places like Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires get their longest day of the year. By contrast, their winter solstice arrives in June; in 2026 it was on June 21.
How Many Hours of Daylight Will You Get?
On Dec. 21, 2026, daylight ranges from about 3 hours 42 minutes in Fairbanks, Alaska, to nearly 11 hours in Honolulu. In general, the farther north you live, the shorter your day, which is why Seattle and Minneapolis get less light than Miami or Houston.
| City | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utqiagvik, AK | No sunrise | No sunset | 0 hours (polar night) |
| Fairbanks, AK | 10:58 a.m. | 2:40 p.m. | 3h 42m |
| Anchorage, AK | 10:14 a.m. | 3:41 p.m. | 5h 28m |
| Seattle, WA | 7:54 a.m. | 4:20 p.m. | 8h 26m |
| Minneapolis, MN | 7:48 a.m. | 4:34 p.m. | 8h 46m |
| Boston, MA | 7:10 a.m. | 4:14 p.m. | 9h 05m |
| Chicago, IL | 7:14 a.m. | 4:22 p.m. | 9h 08m |
| New York, NY | 7:16 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 9h 15m |
| Denver, CO | 7:17 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 9h 21m |
| Washington, DC | 7:23 a.m. | 4:49 p.m. | 9h 26m |
| San Francisco, CA | 7:21 a.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 9h 33m |
| Los Angeles, CA | 6:54 a.m. | 4:47 p.m. | 9h 53m |
| Atlanta, GA | 7:38 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 9h 55m |
| Phoenix, AZ | 7:28 a.m. | 5:24 p.m. | 9h 56m |
| Dallas, TX | 7:25 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 10h 00m |
| Houston, TX | 7:12 a.m. | 5:26 p.m. | 10h 14m |
| Miami, FL | 7:03 a.m. | 5:34 p.m. | 10h 32m |
| Honolulu, HI | 7:04 a.m. | 5:54 p.m. | 10h 50m |
Your exact times will differ by a minute or two depending on where you are within a metro area. For example, the eastern suburbs of a city see the sun slightly earlier than the western ones. For your precise location, the Sunrise-Sunset.org tool or your phone’s weather app will give local times.
Does the sun rise at all in Alaska on the solstice?
In most of Alaska, yes, but only briefly. Anchorage gets about five and a half hours of daylight and Fairbanks less than four. However, in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), the northernmost U.S. city, the sun stays below the horizon all day during the weeks around the solstice, a stretch known as polar night. Even so, residents still get a few hours of twilight around midday.
Pro tip. If the short days leave you low, you are not imagining it. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that seasonal affective disorder symptoms often start as days shorten in late fall and ease in spring. If your mood or energy changes a lot, talk to a health care provider. For everyday energy, our guide to sleeping better covers simple routines.
When Do the Days Start Getting Longer?
Days start getting longer right after the solstice, beginning Dec. 22, 2026. At first the gain is only seconds per day, so you will not notice it until early January. By New Year’s Eve, New York City gains roughly 3 minutes of daylight over the solstice. By Jan. 21, 2027, it gains about 30 minutes.
| City | Dec. 21, 2026 | Dec. 31, 2026 | Jan. 21, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 8h 26m | 8h 30m | 9h 06m |
| Chicago | 9h 08m | 9h 11m | 9h 39m |
| New York | 9h 15m | 9h 19m | 9h 45m |
| Los Angeles | 9h 53m | 9h 56m | 10h 16m |
Why is the earliest sunset before the solstice?
The earliest sunset comes in early December, while the latest sunrise comes in early January. This happens because solar noon, the moment the sun is highest, drifts later on the clock through December. EarthSky explains that in early December, true solar noon arrives nearly 10 minutes earlier by the clock than it does at the solstice.
In practice, our calculation puts New York City’s earliest sunset around Dec. 8 (about 4:28 p.m.) and its latest sunrise around Jan. 4 (about 7:20 a.m.). So, if you are counting on brighter evenings, the good news starts well before Christmas. Mornings, on the other hand, stay dark into January.
Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World
People have marked the winter solstice for thousands of years, usually as a celebration of light returning. Ancient builders even aligned monuments to the solstice sun, and many modern holidays, including parts of Christmas, carry echoes of these older festivals.
1. Yule (Scandinavia and Northern Europe)
Yule, from the pre-Christian Norse festival called jól, is the solstice celebration most Americans have heard of, mostly through the words “Yuletide” and “Yule log.” The Almanac lists it alongside Rome’s Saturnalia as a midwinter festival that predates Christmas. Over time, many of its customs were folded into Christmas celebrations.
- Common customs today: burning a Yule log, evergreen decorations, candlelight and feasting
- Who celebrates: many modern pagans and Wiccans, plus anyone borrowing the traditions for a cozy winter night
2. Dongzhi (China and East Asian communities)
Dongzhi, which literally means “winter’s arrival,” is a family reunion festival observed in China and by Chinese communities worldwide. According to Singapore’s Chinese Cultural Centre, families gather, honor their ancestors and share seasonal foods.
- Southern custom: tangyuan, sweet glutinous rice balls that symbolize reunion
- Northern custom: jiaozi dumplings and warming mutton soup
- In 2026: because the solstice falls on the morning of Dec. 22 in Beijing time, East Asian communities will mark Dongzhi on Tuesday, Dec. 22
3. Yalda Night (Iran and Afghanistan)
Yalda, also called Chella, is a celebration of the sun and the warmth of life held on the last night of autumn, the longest night of the year. In 2022, UNESCO added it to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, based on a joint nomination by Iran and Afghanistan.
- The table: a lamp for light, water for cleanliness, and red fruits such as pomegranates and watermelon for warmth
- The night: families gather at elders’ homes for poetry, stories, games, music and gifts
4. Newgrange and Stonehenge (Ireland and England)
Ancient peoples built huge stone monuments that line up with the solstice sun, and two of the most famous still draw crowds. At Newgrange, a Neolithic passage tomb in Ireland, a small opening above the entrance called the roof box lets sunrise light into the inner chamber for about 17 minutes, as the Irish Times reported from the 2025 event.
- Newgrange access: a free lottery picks the few people allowed inside the chamber; in 2025, about 2,000 people gathered outside
- Stonehenge: English Heritage usually announces its winter solstice access plans in late fall, so check its official site before you travel
5. Cahokia Mounds Woodhenge (Illinois)
Closer to home, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site near Collinsville, Illinois, has a reconstructed “Woodhenge,” a ring of posts based on a pre-Columbian sun calendar. The site has traditionally hosted a free sunrise observance near the solstice, where an archaeologist explains how the calendar worked.
- Format: a short early-morning talk at the Woodhenge reconstruction west of Monks Mound; organizers say no ceremonies are held, out of respect for Native American cultures
- 2026 date: not announced yet; check the Cahokia Mounds events page
How Can You Celebrate the Solstice This Year?
The easiest way to celebrate is to honor the light: watch the sunrise or sunset on Dec. 21, then light candles or a fire after dark. Since the solstice falls on a Monday afternoon in 2026, many people will hold their gathering that evening or on the weekend before.
- Catch the sunset: it comes before 5 p.m. in most of the country, so plan a short walk to a west-facing spot.
- Host a longest-night dinner: borrow from Yalda with pomegranates and nuts, or from Dongzhi with dumplings or tangyuan.
- Light a Yule log: use a fireplace or fire pit, or simply a log-shaped candle holder indoors.
- Mark your shadow at noon: kids can measure it on the solstice and again in March to see the sun climb.
- Write intentions: because the solstice signals the return of light, many people use it as a quieter alternative to New Year’s resolutions.
- Go stargazing: the longest night of the year gives you the most dark hours, weather permitting.
Watch out. Never look directly at the sun, even when it sits low on the horizon at sunrise or sunset. Also, if you plan a solstice bonfire, check local burn rules first, and keep candles away from evergreen decorations.
Winter Solstice Dates 2026 to 2030
The December solstice usually falls on Dec. 21 in U.S. time zones, but it shifts by about six hours each year. Then a leap year resets it. So in 2027, for example, it lands on Dec. 22 in UTC yet still on the evening of Dec. 21 across the U.S.
| Year | Date (U.S.) | Eastern time | Pacific time | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, Dec. 21 | 3:50 p.m. | 12:50 p.m. | Dec. 21, 20:50 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, Dec. 21 | 9:42 p.m. | 6:42 p.m. | Dec. 22, 02:42 |
| 2028 | Thursday, Dec. 21 | 3:19 a.m. | 12:19 a.m. | Dec. 21, 08:19 |
| 2029 | Friday, Dec. 21 | 9:14 a.m. | 6:14 a.m. | Dec. 21, 14:14 |
| 2030 | Saturday, Dec. 21 | 3:09 p.m. | 12:09 p.m. | Dec. 21, 20:09 |
If you are already mapping out next year, our 2027 calendar lists every federal holiday and long weekend.
Our verdict
Mark Monday, Dec. 21, on your calendar: the winter solstice 2026 arrives at 3:50 p.m. Eastern (12:50 p.m. Pacific), and it brings the shortest day of the year everywhere in the U.S. After that, the light comes back slowly. Evenings have already been brightening since early December, and mornings follow in January.
Whether you light a Yule log, share tangyuan or simply step outside for a 4:30 p.m. sunset, the solstice is a good excuse to pause before the holiday rush. It is, after all, the one day that promises every day after it will be a little longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the winter solstice 2026?
The winter solstice 2026 happens at 20:50 UTC on Monday, December 21, 2026. In U.S. time zones that is 3:50 p.m. Eastern, 2:50 p.m. Central, 1:50 p.m. Mountain, 12:50 p.m. Pacific, 11:50 a.m. in Alaska and 10:50 a.m. in Hawaii. The date is December 21 everywhere in the country.
Is December 21 or 22 the shortest day of 2026?
In the United States, Monday, December 21, 2026, is the shortest day of the year because the solstice happens that afternoon. The difference in daylight between December 21 and 22 is only a few seconds, though. In East Asia and Australia, the solstice moment falls on December 22 local time.
How long is the shortest day of the year?
It depends on your latitude. On December 21, 2026, New York City gets about 9 hours 15 minutes of daylight, Seattle about 8 hours 26 minutes, Miami about 10 hours 32 minutes and Fairbanks, Alaska, only about 3 hours 42 minutes. In Utqiagvik, Alaska, the sun does not rise at all.
When do the days start getting longer after the winter solstice?
Days start getting longer on December 22, the day after the solstice. The gain is tiny at first, just seconds a day. By New Year’s Eve, New York City has about 3 more minutes of daylight than on the solstice, and by late January it has gained about 30 minutes.
Is the winter solstice the first day of winter?
Yes, for astronomers. Astronomical winter starts at the winter solstice on December 21, 2026, and lasts until the spring equinox on March 20, 2027. Meteorologists, however, count winter as December, January and February, so meteorological winter begins on December 1.
What is the winter solstice celebration called?
There is no single name. In Northern Europe the solstice festival is Yule, from the Norse jol. In China it is Dongzhi, a family festival with dumplings and tangyuan. In Iran and Afghanistan it is Yalda or Chella, a longest-night gathering that UNESCO recognized in 2022.
