In the northern hemisphere, winter solstice is the shortest day
of the year. The exact moment of the solstice happens between
Dec. 21 and Dec. 22, depending on the particular year’s
calendar. During the winter solstice, the northern half of the
Earth is tilted away from the sun, states the <a href="http://ww
w.windows2universe.org/the_universe/uts/winter.html"
target="_blank">National Earth Science Teachers Association</a>.
At the winter solstice, the sun appears lower in the sky for
residents of the northern hemisphere—as it has been “sinking”
since the summer solstice. <strong>Less sunlight, more winter.
</strong>The winter solstice marks the start of winter in the
northern hemisphere, which means this area of the planet is
receiving less direct sunlight than the southern hemisphere.
When the northern hemisphere experiences winter, the southern
hemisphere experiences summer. Likewise, when the northern
hemisphere basks in warmth of summer, the southern hemisphere
experiences the cooler temperatures of winter