What is the longest night of the year? The longest and shortest night of the year. Longest day of the year Night is longer than day

In 2012, the most impressionable part of humanity expected the end of the world - the Mayan calendar was ending.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest night of the year acquired mystical significance. The ancient priests were aware of the astronomical phenomenon of the solstice, although they could not fully understand its causes.

Time of day, seasons

The complex astronomical system of which the Earth is a part is unique. It has been established that such concepts as "day" and "night" are unknown for most planets located beyond solar system. Large clusters of stars, typical of the center of the Galaxy, do not leave the planets and space objects that revolve around them without light radiation. At any point on our planet, when the Sun drops below 18° below the horizon, astronomical night begins.

Life ancient man directly depended on nature, on its condition, on the change of seasons. He quickly established a pattern in the movement of the luminary throughout the year, the dependence of the duration of periods favorable for agriculture on In the middle and high northern latitudes, where the lack of natural light is especially noticeable, the longest night of the year meant that the darkest time of the year had passed and the sun would be a little longer linger in the sky.

Equinox and Solstice

Solstice is a period when the direction of the daily change in the highest point above the horizon, which the luminary reaches in the middle of the day, between sunrise and sunset, changes. This change - rise or fall - is uneven, slowing down for several days when the sun at noon seems to reach almost the same height above the horizon. Hence the name solstice days.

Winter and spring in the Northern Hemisphere are the times when this culminating point rises higher and higher every day. Day and night become equal in length on the day of the vernal equinox (around March 20), which signifies the onset of astronomical spring. The rise of the midday point reaches its apogee on June 20-21, and the reverse process begins.

Around September 22, the equinox marks the beginning of autumn in terms of the movement of the Sun and Earth. With each one it becomes a few minutes shorter, until the longest night of the year arrives - the winter solstice, the beginning of astronomical winter.

Earth's axis tilt

For each specific point on the surface globe There are time and seasonal periods. The changing times of day and annual temperature cycles are influenced by the Earth's revolution around the Sun and the rotation of the planet around its axis. In this case, the axis of rotation is tilted by 23.5°. Because of this, fewer straight lines fall on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere sun rays, and in the northern circumpolar regions they for a long time do not reach at all, and in winter the polar night sets in there.

At zero latitude - at the earth's equator - the length of the day is approximately the same throughout the year and is about 12 hours. In the Southern Hemisphere, the duration of daylight hours has an inverse relationship with the time of year: from the last days of September to the end of March it is more than 12 hours, in spring and summer it is less. The longest night of the year in southern latitudes falls on June 22.

Instruments and tables

Determining the length of day and night has always seemed important for planning human economic activities. Back in the Middle Ages, special instruments appeared, and data on the length of the day were published in calendars and calendars. From them it was always possible to determine how long the shortest day lasted. Different chronology systems adopted in different cultures, calendar reforms, and correction of the discrepancy between astronomical and civil time led to the fact that the date of the winter solstice was different every year.

Today there is world time, in most European and American countries the Gregorian calendar is used, so you can find out what date the longest night is in the desired area of the planet using special tables. So, in 2016, the winter solstice is December 21, at 10:44 am. The duration of the night on this day is 17 hours.

Traditions and rituals

Since Neolithic times, solstice days have found expression in the rituals and buildings of different peoples. The stones of the famous Stonehenge are arranged in such a way as to indicate the position of the sun on the day that marks the beginning of astronomical winter.

In the northern latitudes there was a long period of waiting for spring, often the most difficult time of the year. It was necessary to slaughter cattle because the ripening beer and wine stored in the fall disappeared. The beginning of winter was accompanied by holidays. Among the Slavs - Kolyada, Solstice, among the Germans, Yodel was celebrated on the day of the longest night.

People saw the important meaning of this day in the fact that the longest night has passed, the day will begin to increase, which means there is hope for the revival of nature, faith in endless life. It is no coincidence that the holiday of the Nativity of Christ is tied to the day.

Anna Moderska,

teacher, sex consultant for Fun Factory, manufacturer of adult toys

Then, due to the discrepancy between the Julian calendar and solar cycles, Ivan Kupala Day began to be celebrated on July 7, but many traditions, games and signs are still alive. On July 7th they are not very “real” and effective, because the sun has already turned to winter, but on June 22nd - the shortest and brightest night of the year - truly magical. Where and how to do it?

By the water

It is not recommended to sleep on Kupala night: last hours Evil spirits walk on the earth and can greatly harm a sleeping person. A night in nature near a pond is an ideal option. And it is not at all necessary to spend this time together. If you're ready to experiment, you can celebrate with friends, swim, play wish games, dance in circles, retreat for love, and even swap partners.

For many peoples, this night was permeated with eroticism, including the Slavs. And it was customary to perform some rituals without clothes, since by being naked, a person united with nature and gained its strength.

So on this night you can swim naked in the river and not be afraid of mermaids - from this day on they go to sleep at the bottom of rivers and lakes, no longer bothering people. Water, as was popularly believed, acquired magical properties on this day and helped lovers and those who dream of offspring. And the starry sky above the serene surface of the rivers has the best effect on the strength of the family union.

Light fires and jump over them holding hands. If the hands do not open, the couple is guaranteed a long and happy relationship. An integral attribute of the Kupala night is the tradition of lighting a cleansing fire, when the fire is lit from an immortal source obtained by rubbing wood against wood. They danced around the cleansing fires and jumped over them to be happy. It was believed that in such a fire all illness and damage would burn out. And in ancient times they jumped over such a fire naked.

Kupala night in the forest is more of a bachelorette party format. Sing songs and dance in circles until the first dawn. Collect wildflowers and herbs and weave wreaths. The Slavs considered the herbs and flowers collected on the festive night to be especially healing, a kind of amulets. The girls wove wreaths from such flowers and plants with their own hands, put them on their heads and made wishes. Of course, about the betrothed and happy love.

If you don't have a partner yet, collect your bouquet of 12 different flowers and herbs, wish upon your beloved and place the wreath under your pillow at night. In the old days, lonely girls burned such bouquets the next morning, but it is unlikely that city residents now have such an opportunity. Although, probably, it is possible in the grill.

Among women's rituals, a ritual from Polesie that has come down to us is also noteworthy: before dawn, the girls chose the most beautiful one, exposed her and decorated her from head to toe with flower garlands. Then all the girls went into the forest, where the chosen beauty, called “dzevko-kupalo,” was blindfolded. Without seeing anyone in person, she handed out pre-prepared wreaths to all her friends who were dancing around her, and from the flowers woven into the wreath, the girls guessed about their future fate. You can take this ritual into service.

If you are not ready for adventures in nature, or the weather is not conducive to it, or you have to go to work tomorrow, then you can organize the night of Kupala at home. We do not suggest lighting a fire in your apartment and jumping over it - neighbors and the fire department will not appreciate your desire to connect with nature. But no one will stop you from lighting and placing candles around the apartment, arranging wild flowers and fragrant herbs and

The shortest day in 2018 is December 22, 2018, Saturday. And, accordingly, the longest night in 2018 is the night from December 22 to December 23.
On this day at 12:28 Moscow time is the December solstice (winter solstice).

The shortest day in 2018 lasts 7 hours, 20 seconds (7:00:20). From point of view daylight hours, the shortest December day in 2018 is shorter than the June solstice (Thursday, June 21, 2018) by 10 hours, 33 minutes.

Also, it will be interesting to know that:

The earliest sunset in 2018 is December 14.
The latest sunrise in 2018 is December 29.

All living organisms need sunlight and feel its lack during those seasons when the days are shortened and the nights are lengthened. Any cycle has critical points of change in the nature of the cycle. The cycle of changes in the length of daylight hours includes the days of the equinox and the days of the solstices.

When does the phase of increasing daylight hours begin?

The phase of increasing daylight hours begins with the winter solstice and ends with the summer solstice. The intensity of the increase in daylight hours 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 December 24-25 by several minutes per day, then the intensity of the increase in day length increases.

Natural phenomena such as the increase and decrease of daylight hours occur in nature. The longest day is observed on June 22, then gradually decreases. Daylight hours decrease until December 22, at which point you can experience the shortest day and longest night of the year. Subsequently, the day begins to gradually regain its positions. This happens unnoticed, the difference is in minutes. A more visible result can be observed in about a month. On March 20-21, the day almost corresponds to the night - the spring equinox. This process occurs year after year, so 2018 is no exception.

At the end of June 2018, the days began to slowly decrease, and by December they would reach their minimum. In the northernmost cities there will even be a polar night. Everyone will be looking forward to the moment when the day begins to increase. This turning point will be the Winter Solstice, which falls on December 21-22. During this time the day is shortest. And the very next day – December 23, 2018 – the day will become longer by a few seconds. Here in this table with the times of sunrise and sunset in St. Petersburg you can clearly see how the length of the day will increase:

The magic of the winter solstice, rituals on this day

Winter solstice is one of the four main sunny days in astrology, along with the summer solstice and the autumn and spring equinoxes.

In pagan times, the day before the winter solstice was called Karachun, which means “death” or “destruction.” People believed that evil forces could make it so that the sun would not rise in the morning, so they helped it “to be born” in every possible way: even before dawn, they gathered and lit ritual fires from oak and pine logs and brought gifts to the forest gods - they baked pies and prepared uzvars, which brought to the forest. Bread or pies were placed on the branches of old trees, and sweet drinks were poured on them as an offering to the forest deities to send a good harvest. Perhaps this is where the custom of decorating the Christmas tree came from.

In the morning, when the sun rose, they celebrated its rebirth - in fact, the winter solstice was the pagan New Year. That night they also caroled, and the girls also told fortunes about their betrothed. Subsequently, with the adoption of Christianity, these classes were moved to the Christmastide period.

When is the longest day and shortest night of the year, and how many days are they?

The longest day of the year in central Russia

The longest day in 2017 occurred on June 21. For several days, the days were just as long (17 hours 33 minutes), and from June 24 the days began to decrease.

When, from what date in the summer, will daylight hours begin to decrease?

If we take data for Moscow, then the longest day was 17 hours 33 minutes.

For Moscow, the days will decrease in the following sequence:

By the end of June, the day decreased by 6 minutes, and became 17 hours 27 minutes
For July - by 1 hour 24 minutes, day length 16 hours 3 minutes
For August - by 2 hours 8 minutes, the day lasts 13 hours 51 minutes
Until the equinox (September 24), the day will shorten by 1 hour 45 minutes, the length of the day will be 12 hours 2 minutes

The longest day of the year is the summer solstice. It will be followed by the shortest night of the year.

On this day, the height of the Sun in the sky is the highest. This results in the longest days and shortest nights in Earth's northern hemisphere and the shortest days and longest nights in the southern hemisphere.

It turns out that for residents of the northern hemisphere, astronomical summer begins on this day, while for residents of the southern hemisphere, astronomical winter begins.

The date of the summer solstice depends on calendar shifts and leap years. As a rule, it falls on June 21-22.

Solstice date from 2014 to 2020

2014 - June 21
2015 - June 21
2016 – June 20
2017 – June 21
2018 – June 21
2019 – June 21
2020 – June 20

The length of daylight hours on the longest day of the year in northern latitude is about 17.5 hours. And the night, as a rule, lasts approximately 6 hours.

The summer solstice holiday was considered a special, magical day for pagans. In ancient times, the Sun was deified; people believed that it had power over all living things. Therefore, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere meant the highest flowering of the forces of nature.

In Rus', long before the adoption of Christianity, this day was celebrated Ivan Kupala Day- early summer. Now Kupala is celebrated from July 6 to 7 according to the new style, but the rituals and folk traditions of this day have remained unchanged.

On the day of the summer solstice, people glorified the Sun, performed rituals to gain well-being and health, burned bonfires, danced in circles, held noisy celebrations, and collected medicinal herbs. This day was ideal for fortune telling and divination, so young girls did not miss the opportunity to find out their future and wondered about marriage.

On the night that followed the shortest day, it was not customary to sleep. Firstly, this night is light enough to sleep. Secondly, it was believed that by falling asleep, one could bring upon oneself troubles and misfortunes. People tried to spend this day and night with benefit for themselves - they performed rituals, ceremonies and told fortunes. Since this day is considered energetically strong, our ancestors used the forces of nature to attract prosperity and a good harvest. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

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When are the shortest and longest nights of the year? The answer to this question is simple and has been known to many since ancient times.

The longest day of daylight (it is also accompanied by the shortest night of the year) and the shortest have their own scientific name and are designated by the term “solstice”.

It has long been of no small importance in the annual time cycle. Due to the fact that they have always controlled the way of life of people, many peoples in their own cultures have developed traditional customs, rituals and holidays associated with such days.

IN modern life The duration of the solstice (summer and winter) can be calculated with an accuracy of one minute several years in advance.

When is the shortest night of the year? You can learn about the traditions, rituals associated with such specific astrological phenomena (solstice and the shortest night), as well as the dates themselves, from this article.

Types of solstice, traditions

During the solstices, planet Earth experiences the longest and shortest daylight hours.

In winter, the solstice occurs on December 21 or 22. The length of the daylight hours is 5 hours 53 minutes. And, of course, the longest night falls on the same date. Then the length of the day begins to increase.

On one of three days, from June 20 to 22, the summer solstice is observed (the shortest night of the year also occurs), lasting 17 hours 33 minutes. After this, there is a gradual shortening of the daylight hours and lengthening of the night period.

Various interesting traditions are associated with the above natural events. In former times, it was popular in Russia and in some of the neighboring countries. It was dedicated to the shortest day and was dedicated to Christmastide and Christmas.

According to historians, even the ancient Egyptians, who built giant pyramids, once knew about the longest day. This is evidenced by the fact that the highest of them are located so that the sun set on this day precisely between them (this phenomenon becomes visible if you look at these buildings from the side of the Sphinx).

What happens during the longest and shortest days of the year?

All people notice that with the arrival of spring, the sun appears higher and higher above the horizon at noon and every day it leaves the sky later in the evening. At the beginning of summer it reaches its highest point - this is the summer solstice.

The date of this phenomenon depends on the year (whether it is a leap year or not).

The summer solstice occurs on June 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, and on June 21 - if there are 365 days in a year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the longest day is leap year- December 22, and December 21 in a normal year.

What date is the shortest night? The answer is simple. It comes after the solstice.

Ivan Kupala Day

According to ancient Slavic beliefs, this is a magical time: the powers of all useful plants increase many times over, and destined girls are shown in dreams and visions.

Before this time, swimming was prohibited. It was believed that devils were sitting in the waters. And during the summer period, they left the water until the very beginning of August.

But the time came when these pagan traditions were supplanted by Christian ones, and this ancient holiday received a different name - the day of John the Baptist. But since John baptized by immersion in water, it began to be called the day of Ivan Kupala (this is the shortest night in the summer). This holiday has taken root well and has reached the present day.

The night of Ivan Kupala is considered magical by the Slavs. On this night, people tell fortunes, jump over the fire (purification by fire occurs), and collect medicinal herbs. Mass bathing is considered an important attribute on this day.

So, how long is the shortest night of the year? 6 hours 26 minutes.

According to the old calendar, the day of the summer solstice and the famous day of Ivan Kupala coincided, but now (according to the new style) this holiday has moved to July 7.

Winter solstice celebration

The day gradually begins to decrease after the summer solstice. Slowly the Sun reaches its lowest point of rise.

The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere occurs on December 21 or 22 (depending on the year), and in the southern hemisphere, respectively, on June 20 or 21. And again, after the longest night, the countdown begins.

Even in ancient times, it was celebrated before a long winter, people slaughtered all the livestock and had a feast. Then this day received the following meaning - the awakening of life.

This holiday is the largest and most famous among the Germanic peoples - the medieval Yule. On the night, after which the light gradually rose higher and higher, they burned fires in the fields, blessed plants (trees) and crops, and brewed cider.

And the shortest night of the year, accordingly, comes six months after these events.

In today's world, these significant dates are not so of great importance, as it was before with our ancestors. However, modern pagans continue to consider them holidays and certainly celebrate them, as was customary in the old days.