from the National Park Service
The winter solstice occurs today, December 21, 2022 at 4:48 p.m. EST for the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the shortest day of the year with the least amount of sunlight. This natural phenomenon is caused by the northern half of the Earth being tilted as far away from the sun as it can be on its axis, allowing less light to reach the Northern Hemisphere.
The #wintersolstice has been an important occurrence for cultures around the world for thousands of years. The darkness of winter and return of sunlight has influenced yearlong calendars as well as winter customs, rituals, and storytelling. Cultures also created solar markers, structures, symbols, and communities to align with the sunlight of the solstices. Cultural heritage connected to the winter solstice can be found in many national parks today.
Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/…/naturalphenomena/winter-solstice.htm
Natural History Wanderings 
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