Winter Wikipedia

This led some scholars to believe that Scandinavian Yule (Jól) originally was a sun festival on the winter solstice. The Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, describes a Jól feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920–961). Philipp E. Nothaft, a professor at Trinity College Dublin, though this „is nowadays used as the default explanation for the choice of 25 December as Christ’s birthday, few advocates of this theory seem to be aware of how paltry the available evidence actually is”. A widely-held theory is that the Church chose it as Christ’s birthday (Dies Natalis Christi) specifically to appropriate the Roman festival of the sun god’s birthday (Dies Natalis Solis Invicti). In AD 274, the emperor Aurelian made this the date of the festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the birthday of Sol Invictus or the 'Invincible Sun’. In the same century, Ovid wrote in the Fasti that the winter solstice is the first day of the „new Sun”.
In the „astronomical” reckoning, the timing of „winter” is based on astronomical fixed points (i.e., based solely on the position of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun), regardless of weather conditions. Since by almost all definitions valid for the Northern Hemisphere, winter spans 31 December and 1 January, meaning that the season takes up two calendar years, as summer does in the Southern Hemisphere. In this region, snow occurs every year in elevated regions such as the Andes, the Great Dividing Range in Australia, the mountains of New Zealand, and in the southerly Patagonia region of South Argentina. As a result, the coldest January on record in Stockholm, in 1987, was also the sunniest. The coldest average temperatures of the season are typically experienced in January or February in the Northern Hemisphere and in June, July or August in the Southern Hemisphere.
Marcus Terentius Varro wrote in the first century BC that this was regarded as the middle of winter. At the temple of Kore (the Koreion) in Alexandria, an all-night vigil was held, and at dawn an idol of the child god was brought out of an underground shrine. Epiphanius says that thirteen days after the solstice, on 5–6 January, they celebrated the birth of Aion, son of the virgin goddess Kore.

• If the polar vortex shifts south, it could send colder-than-average air from Canada farther into the United States.
• The polar vortex isn’t a storm—it’s a large swirling pool of very cold Arctic air that usually stays near the North Pole in winter.
• Yalda night celebration, or as some call it „Shabe Chelleh” („the 40th night”), is one of the oldest Iranian traditions that has been present in Persian culture from ancient times.
• Ecological reckoning of winter differs from calendar-based by avoiding the use of fixed dates.
• It is one of six seasons recognized by most ecologists who customarily use the term hibernal for this period of the year (the other ecological seasons being prevernal, vernal, estival, serotinal, and autumnal).

The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. For 235 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has mixed practical advice with the unexpected.

Appalachians

The coldest moth of the winter in this hemisphere is January. Another just grow more warm fur, that would help them to live when the weather is cold and also well-known way to survive winter season is fall into hibernation. Also winter season is the best time in the year to see starts in t night sky, due to they are the brightest in this time of the year. Most of plants and animals are having their hibernation period, so winter is not full of bright colors, but who says that white, snowy and a bit magical winter is not cool? Nature in the winter season is sleeping, because of low temperatures, frost in the air and snowing weather. Everyone feels some magic in the air, because of frosts, crystal nights, snow and just this amazing atmosphere.

• Across much of the country, temperatures are expected to be near normal or warmer than normal.
• Warmer-than-normal temperatures are on tap for the Deep South, with a few chances of snow in the north and wetter conditions to the south.
• Bede also mentions an older 'two-season’ year, where summer ended and winter began at the full moon during the month of Winterfylleth, in October.
• The opposite event is the summer solstice, which happens at the same time in the opposite hemisphere.
• Philipp E. Nothaft, a professor at Trinity College Dublin, though this „is nowadays used as the default explanation for the choice of 25 December as Christ’s birthday, few advocates of this theory seem to be aware of how paltry the available evidence actually is”.
• Winter is one of the four Earth’s seasons, that goes after autumn and foreshadows spring.

Ancient Roman world

Winter season is really amazing and has some special atmosphere, that everyone cold feel. During this days, people wear special clothes, use fruits and vegetables as decorations for their homes and also light special candles. (Kwanzaa festival with Ron Karenga, he is the creator of the pan-African and African American holiday Kwanzaa) People celebrate this holiday with families, giving gifts to each other, going to church, singing special songs and having an amazing time with magical atmosphere in the air! Now we are going to tell you about the best and interesting summer tradition in the world! Coming of Winter to every country and town is a significant event, that is way there are a lot of celebrations and holidays, regarding to greet this amazing time of the year.

Find Your 2026–2027 Winter Forecast

Frost on the plants even helps them to accumulate how much force they would need to grow and get covered with young and green leaves in the spring. Winter is the best time for plants and trees to relax and prepare for the next season. Days become short, as usual not so sunny and nights are becoming longer. Winter is one of the four Earth’s seasons, that goes after autumn and foreshadows spring.

Northern Hemisphere

Some nations do not have a time of the year which has temperatures too different than in other seasons. Holidays in winter for many countries include Christmas and New Year’s Day. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice is usually June 21 or June 22. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice is usually December 21 or December 22.
The polar vortex isn’t a storm—it’s a large swirling pool of very cold Arctic air that usually stays near the North Pole in winter. If the polar vortex shifts south, it could send colder-than-average air from Canada farther into the United States. Last winter’s La Niña faded to neutral conditions, and El Niño returned during the summer. Warmer and drier conditions are expected in the High Plains, along with below-normal snowfall. Expect colder temperatures in the Ohio Valley, with a wetter eastern area and a number of snowy periods throughout the season. Winter will be tough in the Appalachians, with colder and snowier conditions, especially in the north.
In the sixth century, the Greek historian Procopius wrote that the people of Scandinavia (which he calls Thule) held their greatest festival shortly after the winter solstice, to celebrate the return of daylight. For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, and when the Sun is at its lowest arc in the sky. The days are shorter, and the mystake casino nights are longer. Winter is one of the four season and it is the coldest time of the year. The name of the festival means fresh fruits and based on different African harvest festivals, that were held in ancient times.