How does the length of the day change? What is daylight

Sunlight is very important for the development and growth of every living organism on planet Earth. Everyone feels its shortage, especially during the period of shortening the daylight hours and increasing the length of the night. These changes are cyclical. Every year in spring and autumn, the equinoxes are celebrated, when the length of day and night is compared. In winter and summer, the duration of daytime and nighttime is not the same. Winter has the shortest day and the most long night, and in the summer on the contrary - the longest day and the shortest night. Such days are called solstice days.

When does the length of daylight hours increase in 2019?

The decrease and increase in the duration of the daytime for people has become familiar. However, when the day goes to increase, it brings much more joy. Everyone is looking forward to when the day begins to increase. Indeed, for most people this is a kind of turn and approach to spring, even though the whole winter is still ahead.

The shortest day of 2019 is December 21st. On this day, the Sun crosses the longest point of the earth's orbit, which is the reason for the minimum duration of daylight hours. After that, daylight hours begin to gradually increase until June 22, and then decrease again in a cycle.

This date marks the longest day of the year and the shortest night. After the December solstice, sunlight begins to retake its positions, increasing each day by several minutes. On March 22, day and night will be equal in duration. It will be the spring equinox. On this day, the earth's axis is maximally inclined towards the Sun, which is why a person can see it very low above the horizon. The intensity of the addition of the day directly depends on the inclination of the Sun and the speed of its revolution.

It should be noted that the increase in daylight hours after winter solstice It's not because the sun rises earlier, but because it sets later. Thus it turns out that the day begins its increase in the evening.

Why it happens? All the fault is the elongated orbit along which the Earth rotates around the Sun, thus being a little closer to it. Between the moment when the Earth is as close as possible to the Sun, and the day of the winter solstice, there may be a difference of more than one day.

What does the increase and decrease of the day mean for a person?

The human body is very sensitive to changes in daylight hours. It is noticed that in the months when the day has the shortest duration, the children born into the world later suffer from schizophrenia. Previously, scientists associated this with a deficiency of vitamin D in the body of a pregnant woman, but recently scientists have put forward a version according to which the problem may lie in melatonin (the key hormone responsible for human biorhythms) and the temperature of the mother's body.

Accumulation of melatonin in the body future mother is at its highest around the winter solstice. Her body temperature on the night of December 21-22 drops significantly and this negatively affects the formation of the brain of the unborn baby: the hippocampus becomes smaller, and dopamine is transmitted malfunctioning. Such consequences, according to scientists, can be easily avoided. To do this, a pregnant woman just needs to compensate for the lack of sunlight with artificial sources.

A change in the length of daylight hours has a detrimental effect on the already formed brain of an adult. Research at the University of Liege has shown that the brain is most active around the summer solstice and least active during the winter.

What does the December solstice mean for different peoples of the world?

Since ancient times, the winter solstice, which falls on December 21, has been a very important day. Many traditions are associated with it. Once upon a time, people called the first month of the year Kolyaden. At this time they celebrated the birthday of Kolyada - the god of the Sun. Rich tables were set for the holiday, various ceremonies and rituals were held. The festivities were quite large. People thus revered the deity and saw off the fierce winter.

One of the traditions that has come down to us is caroling. Boys and girls wore the most beautiful outfits and went to all the houses, singing festive songs and wishing people good and well-being. For this, the owners of the houses treated them with various delicacies. A special place on the table was occupied by wheat porridge, which was seasoned with nuts, dried fruits and honey. They called her Kolya. Wheels were burned on the streets, symbolizing the bright round Sun. Dances were made around the fires and songs were sung. People thus tried to help such a desired Sun be reborn.

Traditions different peoples have a lot in common, although they are carried out independently of each other. The main purpose of ritual actions is to try to get support. good forces for the coming year. Special meaning had the winter solstice for primitive people. This is due to the fact that they could not be sure of the future. People did not know how well they prepared for the winter and whether they had enough supplies to survive this period. During the first four months of the new year, they often went hungry.

The celebration of the "half" of winter was the final celebration before the start of a difficult winter period. Almost all cattle went to slaughter, as it was almost impossible to feed them in winter. That's why the largest number meat products consumed during the solstice, which falls in the winter.

Christians celebrate Christmas on the winter solstice. At Orthodox people this holiday is celebrated two weeks later. The Slavs honor Kolyada on this day, and the Germans honor Yule. On the day of the December solstice, the Scandinavian peoples have a carnival dedicated to fire. The Chinese celebrate Dongzhi, thereby welcoming the imminent increase in the length of daylight hours and the addition of "positive energy".

During the winter solstice, one of the traditions is to take aromatic warm baths. The Japanese believe that the aroma of citrus improves health and prevents colds from entering the body. That is why on this day in many baths and hot springs people leave citrus fruits. ancient traditions a lot has come down to us.

As you can see, sunlight plays a special role in the life of not only people, but also all life on the planet. Everyone looks forward to the first rays of sunlight to warm themselves after a long cold night. The ideal option for most would probably be if the night were short and the day very long. But everyone has their own preferences. Therefore, he is content with what nature has given us.

December 21 (the date is indicated for 2016) is the day of the winter solstice. The solstice is one of the two days of the year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is at its minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer. The solstice is one of the two days of the year when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is at its minimum or maximum. There are two solstices in a year - winter and summer. On the winter solstice, the sun rises to its lowest point on the horizon.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, which is when the shortest day and longest night occur. The moment of the solstice shifts every year, as the duration solar year does not match calendar time.

In 2016, the winter solstice will occur on December 21 at 13.45 Moscow time

After the longest night of the year, which lasts about 17 hours, a real astronomical winter will come. The sun will descend as much as possible into the southern hemisphere of the sky, that is, moving along the ecliptic, it will reach its lowest declination. The longitude of the day at the latitude of Moscow will be 7 hours. The sun crosses the 18 hour meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic. This means that after crossing the celestial equator, the luminary will begin its journey to the spring equinox.

During the winter solstice, the sun does not rise at all above a latitude of 66.5 degrees - only twilight at these latitudes indicates that it is somewhere below the horizon. At the North Pole of the Earth, not only the Sun is not visible, but also twilight, and the location of the luminary can only be recognized by the constellations. On December 21, the sun crosses the 18 hour meridian and begins to rise up the ecliptic, beginning its journey to the vernal equinox when it crosses the celestial equator.

Day of the winter solstice among the ancient Slavs

The winter solstice has been observed since ancient times. So, in Russian folklore, a proverb is dedicated to this day: the sun - for the summer, winter - for the frost. Now the day will gradually increase, and the night will decrease. According to the winter solstice, they judged the future harvest: frost on the trees - to a rich harvest of grain.

In the 16th century in Russia, an interesting ritual was associated with the winter solstice. The bell warden of the Moscow cathedral, who was responsible for the chiming of the clock, came to bow to the tsar. He reported that from now on the sun turned to summer, the day is added, and the night is reduced. For this good news, the king rewarded the headman with money.

The ancient Slavs celebrated the pagan New Year on the day of the winter solstice, it was associated with the deity Kolyada. The main attribute of the festival was a bonfire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, had to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's cake - a loaf - also resembled the sun in shape.

The day of pagan veneration of Karachun (the second name of Chernobog) falls on the day of the winter solstice (celebrated depending on the year from December 19 to 22) - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter. It was believed that on this day the formidable Karachun, the deity of death, the underground god who commands frost, takes his power, evil spirit. The ancient Slavs believed that he commands winter and frost and shortens the daylight hours.

The servants of the formidable Karachun are rod bears, in which snowstorms turn around, and blizzards-wolves. It was believed that, according to the bear’s desire, the icy winter also lasts: the bear will turn in his lair on the other side, which means that winter has exactly half the way to spring. Hence the saying: "At the Solstice, the bear in the den turns from one side to the other." Among the people, the concept of "karachun" in the sense of death, death is still used. They say, for example: “a karachun came to him”, “wait for a karachun”, “ask a karachun”, “grabbed a karachun”. On the other hand, the word "karachit" can have the following meanings - backing backwards, crawling, "scrambled" - writhed, crumpled. Perhaps Karachun was called that precisely because he, as it were, forced daytime go to reverse side, backing away, crawling, yielding to the night.

Gradually, in the minds of the people, Karachun became close to Frost, who fetters the earth with cold, as if plunging it into a mortal sleep. This is a more harmless image than the harsh Karachun. Frost is simply the master of winter cold.

Winter Solstice in Other Nations

In Europe, these days began a 12-day cycle of pagan festivities dedicated to the winter solstice, which marked the beginning of a new life and the renewal of nature.

On the day of the winter solstice in Scotland it was a custom to launch the sun wheel - "solstice". The barrel was smeared with burning tar and let down the street. The wheel is a symbol of the sun, the spokes of the wheel resembled rays, the rotation of the spokes during movement made the wheel alive and looked like a luminary.

The winter solstice earlier than all other seasons was determined in China (in Chinese calendar 24 seasons). IN ancient China believed that since that time rises male power nature and a new cycle begins. The winter solstice was considered a happy day worthy of celebration. On this day, everyone - from the emperor to the commoner - went on vacation.

The army was brought into a state of waiting for orders, border fortresses and trading shops were closed, people went to visit each other, gave each other gifts.

The Chinese made sacrifices to the god of Heaven and ancestors, and also ate porridge made from beans and sticky rice to protect themselves from evil spirits and diseases. Until now, the winter solstice is considered one of the traditional Chinese holidays.

In India, the winter solstice - Sankranti - is celebrated in Hindu and Sikh communities, where bonfires are lit on the night before the celebration, the heat of which symbolizes the warmth of the sun, which begins to warm the earth after the winter cold.

The calendar of Russian folk signs will take December 21 (December 8, old style) - Anfisa Needlewoman

On this day, Saint Anfisa of Rome is commemorated, who suffered for the Christian faith in the 5th century. Anfisa was the wife of a Roman dignitary and professed Christianity (according to legend, she was baptized by St. Ambrose of Milan, whose memory is celebrated the day before). Once the wife of the mayor suggested that she accept Arian baptism (the Arian doctrine denied the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ). Anfisa refused and, on the woman's slander, was burned at the stake.

On Anfisa, all girls in Russia were supposed to do needlework: spin, weave, sew, embroider. It was desirable to do this alone, and if it didn’t work out or didn’t want to retire, it was necessary to conduct special rituals from damage.

A girl sews on Anfisa, but an extra eye while sewing is for the evil eye, our ancestors said and advised young needlewomen to wrap a silk thread around their wrists so as not to prick their fingers with a needle. The same rite protected from yawning and hiccups.

The embroidery itself also had magic power, in which various symbols were often encrypted. So, rhombuses on towels meant fertility; round rosettes and cruciform figures on clothes protected its owner from misfortunes. In traditional embroidery patterns, there are also images of the sun, trees, birds, personifying vitality nature. Our ancestors believed in their strength, believing that they would bring prosperity and prosperity to the house.

The calendar of Russian folk signs will take on December 22 (December 9, according to the old style) - Anna Zimnyaya. Anna Dark. The conception of Saint Anne.

The Church celebrates not only birth, but also conception. From the feast of the Conception of Anna, winter begins: autumn ends, winter begins. The beginning of the present harsh winter. In the meantime (lace) on the trees at the Conception of Anna for the harvest. If the snow rolls down to the hedge - a bad summer, and if there is a gap - a fruitful one. December 22 is the shortest day of the year, the day of the solstice.

On the Conception of Anna to pregnant women strict post(on other days, pregnant women are exempt from fasting), avoid any quarrels and troubles, do not catch the eye of the crippled and disabled; you can not kindle a fire, knit, embroider and take on any work, so as not to accidentally harm the unborn child. People who are knowledgeable in these matters assure that the fire kindled on this day can leave a red mark on the body of the child, tangled threads twist his umbilical cord, and the wretched, ugly, seen by his mother, can pass on their injuries to the child. At the Conception, the wolves converge, and after Epiphany they scatter.

The memory of St. Anna, the parent of Mary, the future Mother of God, is celebrated twice a year: on August 7, a service is held in churches on the assumption of Anna, her death. December 22 - day winter equinox, in the south of Russia is considered the beginning of winter. A change is also noticed in the weather: “Sun for summer, winter for frost.” On this morning, worship in churches is held more solemnly than on ordinary days, for December 22 is the day "when the Most Holy Theotokos is conceived."

Equinoxes and Solstice Days 2017

spring equinox - March 2010:29
summer solstice - 21 June 04:24
autumnal equinox - 22 September 20:02
winter solstice - 21 December 16:28

Equinoxes and Solstice Days 2018

spring equinox - 20 March 16:15
summer solstice - 21 June 10:07
autumnal equinox - 23 September 01:54
winter solstice - 21 December 22:23

Equinoxes and Solstice Days 2019

autumnal equinox - 23 September 07:50
winter solstice - 22 December 04:19
spring equinox - 20 March 21:58
summer solstice - 21 June 15:54

Equinoxes and Solstice Days 2020

spring equinox - 20 March 03:50
summer solstice - 20 June 21:44
autumnal equinox - 22 September 13:31

The day of the winter solstice is a holiday when daylight hours begin to increase, although not very noticeably, but still. This holiday falls on December 21 or 22, depending on the lunar calendar.

I have always been interested in this question, because in winter, when it is cold and dark, I really want the day to begin to increase as soon as possible. And I still remember from school that the day begins to increase from December 21-22.

If we talk about Russia, then from December 21-22. If speak about southern hemisphere our planet, there will already be a completely different answer.

So, very soon this year, the day will begin to increase, although it will still be short.

December 22 is considered the shortest day. And it is after this day that the day slowly begins to increase.

But if we talk about the longest day, then this is June 22. And here, on the contrary, the day begins to decrease.

The increase in daylight hours starts from 21(adjusted for leap year) - December 22.

December 22 is the shortest day of the year and it is from him that a slow increase in daylight hours begins (for a very short time period). This day is called the winter solstice.

But all this is characteristic of the Northern Hemisphere.

As a child, I well remembered the number 22. December 22 is the longest night (growth starts from 22), March 22 and September 22, the length of daylight hours and nights are equal. June 22 is the longest day of the year. In a leap year, you can make a minor correction.

Daylight begins to increase slowly and not at all significantly, the increase begins after the winter solstice, which falls on December 21-22, so from December 23 the day begins to increase. The increase starts in less than a minute and is almost not noticeable right away. The increase in daylight hours for a person will become only after a few days.

Daylight hours begin to increase from the winter solstice. In 2014, this will happen on December 21st. In 2015 - December 22. This date does not depend on the leap year, although it has a four-year cycle.

It is from the moment of the winter solstice that the day begins to slowly increase, while the night slowly decreases.

There is also such a thing as the summer solstice - the opposite phenomenon - the day decreases, and the night becomes longer. This happens on June 20 or 21.

**Daylight hours will start increase from 21 to 22 December, depending on what year (leap year or not) but it will be so imperceptible at first that we will not feel it, but after New Year holidays it immediately becomes clear that the day has arrived. Already for 20-30 minutes it will dawn earlier and darken later.

In the Northern Hemisphere - December 21-22. This is due to the fact that at this time the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to the Sun is the greatest, and North hemisphere least illuminated.

Accordingly, in the summer of June 20 or 21, the Earth's axis again assumes the greatest inclination, but at this moment the Northern Hemisphere is illuminated most fully - the summer solstice, the longest day.

The southern hemisphere, respectively, is illuminated the other way around: June 20-21 is the winter solstice, December 21-22 is the summer solstice.

Daylight hours begin to increase after the winter solstice. Approximately December 24, 25, 26. .adds only 1.2 minutes imperceptibly. This is due to the fact that the speed of rotation of the sun increases. And also the Earth passes from the farthest point of the orbit to the nearest ones.

All living organisms need sunlight and feel its lack in those seasons when the days shorten and the nights lengthen. Any cycle has critical points of changing the nature of the cycle. In the cycle of changing the length of daylight hours are the days of the equinox (autumn and spring, distinguishing feature which - the duration of the day and night is aligned), the days of the solstice (summer with the longest and winter with the shortest daylight hours).

When is daylight added?

The hour and day of each critical point shifts depending on the phases of the moon and leap shifts. In 2015, the day of the winter solstice GMT in the northern hemisphere of our planet begins at 4 o'clock. 48 min., in 2016 December 21 at 10 a.m. 44 min., in 2017 December 21 at 16:00 28 min. During these days and hours, the Sun crosses the farthest point of the Earth's elliptical orbit, as a result of which the duration of daylight hours is the shortest. In the southern hemisphere of the Earth, the summer solstice begins at this time.

The phase of increasing daylight hours begins on the day of the winter solstice and ends on the day of the summer solstice. The intensity of the increase in daylight depends on the angle of declination of the Sun and the speed of its rotation. Practically, the day in the northern hemisphere begins to increase on 24-25.12 for several minutes a day, then the intensity of the increase in the length of the day increases. In 2016 March 20 at 4 o'clock. 30 minutes. the length of the day aligns with the length of the night, reaching the second critical point of the cycle - the spring day, reaching 09/22/2016 at 14:00. 21 min. day of the autumnal equinox, i.e. balancing the length of day and night. The cycle of change in the length of the day ends at the new point of the winter solstice on December 21, 2016, having reached a minimum of the day length.

The critical points of the cycle are the actual characteristic points of the change of seasons. These days were celebrated ancient holidays. December 20 was considered the last day of autumn, and on December 21 the Solstice and Kolyaden were celebrated - the day of the beginning of winter, the new year and the birth of the god Kolyada, who embodied the Sun. Christmas time was celebrated for 21 days with the decoration of the huts with dolls of the god Veles (the current Santa Claus) and the Snow Maiden and the performance of carols. IN magical days Christmas time people predicted crops, dates of wars and weddings, commemorated the dead. The Germanic tribes celebrated Yule ( New Year). Other critical days of the daylight cycle have also been associated with public holidays, because ancient farmers and pastoralists were completely dependent on the changing phases of natural cycles.

Video that explains everything in detail

Today, they try to link the change in the length of daylight hours with economic feasibility - the subjective translation of the clock hands 1 hour forward or backward in the corresponding phases of the daylight cycle to save electricity. As the practice of the last two decades has shown, subjective interference in natural astronomical processes leads to deplorable results. The 1% savings in electricity costs the countries implementing this experiment a massive increase in the number of injuries, suicides, exacerbation of chronic diseases, conflict situations and other equinoxes. Starting from this point, the length of the day continues to increase, but the intensity of the increase gradually decreases. On June 20, 2016 at 22:34, the Sun crosses the closest point of the Earth's elliptical orbit, the length of the day reaches the 3rd critical point of the cycle - for the summer solstice with the maximum length of the day. Starting from this point, the length of the day begins to decrease,

health disorders caused by a violation of the daily regimen. Most countries, based on statistical data and the conclusions of scientists, abandoned the dubious experiment, Ukraine is not among them yet. It remains to be hoped that the transfer of Ukraine to winter time in 2015 will complete this cycle of experiments that are harmful to public health.

Since June 22, every day has been waning - the nights are getting longer and the days are getting shorter. The maximum, when we observe the longest night and the shortest day, is reached on December 22. It is from this date that the period begins when the day begins to increase and the night shortens.

The longest night

If you want to get enough sleep, then December 22 will be the most successful for you. Astronomers have noticed that the longest night is observed in the Northern Hemisphere on this day. And the very next day, when the day begins to increase, there will be more and more daylight hours.

On December 22, the sun rises to its lowest point above the horizon. This has a fairly simple scientific explanation. has an ellipsoid shape. The Earth at this time is at the farthest point of the orbit. Therefore, the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere in December rises above the horizon by minimum height, and the peak of this minimum falls on December 22.

Exact date or not?

It is customary to consider the date when the day begins to increase, December 22. All calendars mark it as Day But to be absolutely accurate and take into account everything modern research astronomers and physicists, we will have to state this fact. The position of the solar luminary for several days before the solstice and after does not change its inclination at all. And only 2-3 days after the solstice can we state that the time has come

So if you follow scientific research, then the answer to the question of when the day will begin to increase will be this - December 24-25. It is from this period that the nights become a little shorter, and the daylight hours become longer and longer. But at the household level, information has firmly settled that the time when daylight begins to increase falls on December 22.

Such inaccuracy is forgiven by scientists. After all, sometimes folk omens, based on centuries of observations, are much more tenacious than the latest modern research.

Golden for important news

The Slavs not only celebrated December 22 as the date when the day begins to increase in winter, but also carefully watched what the weather was like during these days, how birds and animals behaved.

December 22 is attributed to folk proverb"The sun - for the summer, winter - for the frost." If frost fell on the trees that day, it was considered a good omen. So, to be a rich harvest of grain.

Interestingly, in the 16th century in Russia, the bell ringer of the Moscow Cathedral himself went to the tsar with "important" information. He reported that the Sun would burn brighter, that the nights would henceforth be shorter, and the days would become longer. In general, he did not let the king forget the date when the day was added. The importance of such a report can be judged by the fact that the king always rewarded the headman with a gold coin. After all, the news was joyful - the winter is coming on the wane. And although there were still cold January snowfalls and severe February frosts ahead of the inhabitants of Russia, the very fact that day beats night was optimistic.

Glory to next spring

Why was such attention paid to the Winter Solstice in ancient times? After all, they remember him very rarely, and even more so they do not mark the date when daylight hours begin to increase. Unless they mention it in the news in a short line, that's all. But our ancestors, whose life depended entirely on the Sun and heat, celebrated this date widely and massively.

Huge bonfires were lit on the streets, both adults and children jumped over them. The girls danced round dances, and the guys competed who would show strength and ingenuity. On the ancient Russia celebrated joyfully and loudly. But Europe was not far behind.

Sun wheel on ancient monuments

In Europe, immediately after the Winter Solstice, pagan holidays began, which lasted exactly 12 days, according to the number of months. People had fun, went to visit, praised nature and rejoiced at the beginning of a new life.

In Scotland there was interesting custom. An ordinary barrel was smeared with melted resin, then it was set on fire and rolled down the street. It was the so-called sun wheel, or otherwise - the solstice. The burning wheel resembled the Sun, it seemed to people that they could control the heavenly body. Such a solstice was made both in ancient Russia and in other European countries.

Interestingly, archaeologists find an image of the sun wheel in the most different countries: in India and Mexico, in Egypt and Gaul, in Scandinavia and Such rock paintings are also in in large numbers found in Buddhist monasteries. By the way, among other names, the Buddha is also called the "King of Wheels". I really wanted to control the Sun.

Male force of nature

Massively celebrated the date when the day is added, and in France, where people held costumed festivals and gave real balls. Accompanied by musicians, the people on December 22 walked through the streets, as if to a demonstration. In the days of the Gauls, it was believed that it was imperative to pick a branch of mistletoe on this day, which would bring happiness to the house.

But in ancient China, the season of mass holidays began at this time. It was believed that along with the energy of the Sun, masculine power awakens in nature. A new one starts life cycle that promises happiness. Everyone celebrated this date - both nobles and commoners. And so that work does not interfere with fun, almost everyone, from the emperor to handymen, went on vacation. Shops closed, people went to visit, gave gifts and made sacrifices.

Today, the tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice has practically disappeared. Modern man does not look at the sky too often and believes that he does not really depend on the Sun. But a completely erroneous opinion. The Sun is the source of all life on earth.