Countdown to Winter
About this countdown
This countdown points to December 21, the most common date of the December solstice — the shortest day of the year and the astronomical start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. (The exact moment shifts between December 20 and 23.)
The solstice is also good news in disguise: from this day forward, the daylight starts coming back, minute by minute.
About First Day of Winter
- Date
- ~December 21 (solstice: Dec 20–23)
- Also called
- December solstice, midwinter
- Type
- Astronomical season start
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Meaning
- Shortest day; daylight begins returning
The December solstice is the year's shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere — the sun's lowest arc — and humanity has marked it as a turning point for thousands of years: Newgrange in Ireland and Stonehenge in England are both aligned to solstice light, and festivals of returning sun span cultures from Roman Saturnalia to Scandinavian Yule.
Many midwinter traditions flowed into the Christmas season itself — evergreens, candles, feasting against the dark. The astronomical event this page counts down to is the ancient root of the whole festive month.
First Day of Winter: Facts Worth Knowing
- Newgrange, older than Stonehenge and the pyramids, channels the solstice sunrise down a 60-foot passage — for about 17 minutes a year.
- Above the Arctic Circle, the solstice brings polar night — the sun doesn't rise at all.
- 'Solstice' means 'sun stands still' — its daily path pauses before reversing.
- The earliest sunset actually occurs about two weeks before the solstice, a quirk of Earth's elliptical orbit.
- Yule logs, evergreen boughs, and candlelight all began as midwinter light rituals.
- From this day on, every day gains daylight until June — the year's most optimistic countdown.
Upcoming Dates: When Is First Day of Winter Next?
Computed automatically for the next ten years — always current, never out of date.
| Year | Date | Day of week |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 21 | Monday |
| 2027 | December 21 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | December 21 | Thursday |
| 2029 | December 21 | Friday |
| 2030 | December 21 | Saturday |
| 2031 | December 21 | Sunday |
| 2032 | December 21 | Tuesday |
| 2033 | December 21 | Wednesday |
| 2034 | December 21 | Thursday |
| 2035 | December 21 | Friday |
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Frequently asked questions
When is the first day of winter?
This countdown uses December 21, the most common date of the December solstice. The exact moment varies between December 20 and 23; meteorological winter begins December 1.
How many days until winter?
The live counter above shows the exact days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining in your local time zone.
Is the solstice the coldest day?
Usually not — the coldest weeks typically come in January due to seasonal lag, the same effect that delays summer's peak heat.
What's special about the solstice?
It's the shortest day and longest night of the year — and the moment the days start growing longer again.