When is the winter solstice? What to know about the shortest day in Oregon

On By Littum

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(This story was updated to add new information.)

Winter weather has made itself known throughout the Pacific Northwest this year, but it’s officially winter with the longest night of the year.

This weekend’s winter solstice starts on the first day of winter. Here’s what you need to know.

When is the winter solstice and how much daylight will Oregon see?

In Oregon, the winter solstice will occur Saturday 21 December at 1:21 AM PST.

Sunrise in Oregon on December 21 will be approximately 7:48 a.m. PST with sunset at 4:30 PM PST, creating the shortest day of the year with 8 hours and 42 minutes of daylight.

That’s 6 hours and 59 minutes less daylight than the longest day in Oregon in 2024. Summer Solstice June 20 lasted 15 hours and 41 minutes.

What is winter solstice?

Each year has two solstices: winter solstice and summer solstice.

The Earth is tilted from the Sun by approx 23.5 degrees on its axis, and each solstice is based on the amount of solar declination, or “Earth’s latitude where the sun is directly overhead at noon,” National Geographic reports.

The winter solstice is named after the shortest day and longest night of the year, when the tilt brings the northern hemisphere to its farthest point away from the sunaccording to the Smithsonian Science Education Center. This brings more darkness when the sun appears lowest in the sky and gives off less sunlight and heat.

On the bright side (pun intended), each day after the solstice will be a little brighter than the last.

Winter lasts from December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere until March 20, 2025when the vernal equinox will mark the beginning of spring.

This leads up to the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year. The summer solstice will take place on 20 June 2025 at 7:41 PM PST.

What traditions are celebrated during the winter solstice?

Solstice is a combination of the Latin words sunmeaning “sun”, and sister means “to stop,” according to Old farmer’s almanac.

It is derived from the Latin word solstice. Or put another way: solstice means “the sun stands still”.

Different cultures celebrate the winter solstice. Here are a few:

  • Christmas is a pagan tradition with Old Norse and Germanic peoples origin. It is one of the oldest winter solstice festivals, with “Christmas celebrations attempting to recreate ancient traditions, while others have been adapted or reimagined to fit contemporary personal and religious practices.” according to Britannicaan encyclopedic website.
  • Soyal is celebrated by Hopi Native Americans in northern Arizona through ceremonies and rituals welcoming protective spirits.
  • Dong Zhi signifies the arrival of winter in China. A festival is held where families can come together and celebrate the end of the harvest season.
  • Lucia Day is celebrated in Scandinavia to honor St. Lucya Christian martyr, by incorporating “earlier Norse solstice traditions, such as lighting bonfires to ward off spirits in the longest night.” according to Britannica.

Olivia Munson, a trends reporter at USA Today, and Emily Barnes, a trends reporter in New York, contributed.

Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect Reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or at X at @Ginnie Sandoval.