Overview
- The solstice falls on Sunday, December 21, with the moment reported at 16:03, marking the start of astronomical winter and the longest night of the year.
- Day length on the solstice varies widely by location, with European cities ranging from roughly four to about nine and a half hours of daylight.
- Within Germany, Hamburg receives nearly an hour less daylight than Munich, reflecting how latitude drives the size of the seasonal daylight swing.
- In Berlin the sun rose at 8:15 and set at 15:53 for 7 hours 38 minutes of daylight, with sunsets edging later in the coming days and roughly five extra minutes of daylight by New Year’s Eve.
- High latitudes enter or continue polar night, including Svalbard’s extended darkness from mid‑November to mid‑January, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences its longest day and solstice traditions persist at sites such as Stonehenge and Newgrange.