Today is the first day of winter and shortest day of 2021

VICTOR VALLEY, Calif. (VVNG.com) — The winter solstice occurred at 7:59 am, this morning marking the official first day of winter for Southern California and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere.

Today, December 21, 2021, will also be the shortest day of the year, with only 9 hours and 59 minutes of daylight. That means after today, the days will begin to get longer as we slowly head into spring.

According to Space.com, the winter solstice marks the moment in Earth’s orbit around the sun when the planet’s South Pole is the most tilted towards the star.

“The winter solstice has traditionally been an important moment for ancient cultures, aware of their dependence on the sun for their survival. In the U.K, neo druids will gather on Tuesday night at the iconic Stonehenge to celebrate the beginning of the star’s return,” according to Space.com.

Are you ready for the longer days? Or do you prefer the “shorter” days? Comment below and let us know!

To everyone across the Southern Hemisphere: Happy first day Summer ☀️#DidYouKnow? Today, the North Pole shifts to almost directly facing the sun, bringing the longest day of the year!#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/FxCkElr5qx pic.twitter.com/zbO3IVspZT

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) December 21, 2021