It’s a perfect time to stay in and get snuggly (Picture: Getty)
We’re dashing right towards Christmas, with just a few days until the big day.
While the magic of the festive period is undeniable – with weekends spent watching our favourite movies and counting down to family and friend reunions – winter isn’t all smooth sailing.
For a start, there’s the shortest day of the year – during which we get the least amount of daylight and the longest period of darkness, pushing people into the winter blues.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming winter solstice…
When does winter 2022 officially begin?
The first day of winter depends on which winter you are talking about – the meteorological winter or the astronomical winter.
The meterological definition of the seasons is based on the calendar, and splits them up into three month periods.
The start of winter is not that simple… (Picture: Getty)
The meteorological winter always begins on December 1 and ends on the last day of February.
However, the astronomical winter is based on the Earth’s axis and how it orbits around the sun.
In 2022, the astronomical winter will begin on December 21 and will end on March 20, 2023.
The astronomical winter also decides the equinoxes and solstices.
When is the shortest day of the year?
In 2022, the shortest day of the year falls on Wednesday, December 21 – which is the beginning of the astronomical winter.
Winter is nearly here… (Picture: Getty)
The shortest day will see us getting just seven hours, 49 minutes, and 42 seconds of daylight in London.
However, the exact amount of daylight you’ll get depends on where you are in the country (only by a matter of minutes though).
For example: up in Manchester, they’re set to get just seven hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds of daylight.
In Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, daylight will be shy of seven hours at six hours, 57 minutes and 37 seconds.
More: UK weather
Scotland’s most northerly city, Inverness, is due just six hours, 35 minutes and 35 seconds of daylight on the year’s shortest day.
Welsh capital Cardiff is due to get just a few seconds more than London at seven hours, 49 minutes and 56 seconds – while Northern Irish capital Belfast is due to get seven hours, 15 minutes and seven seconds of daylight, according to Time and Date.
While this might seem like bad news, it’s not entirely – as the days will start getting a little longer and the nights a little shorter from this point on.
The amount of extra daylight will be negligible at first, and you can expect it to be a while before you notice much difference.
The mornings and nights will start to get lighter after December 21 (Picture: Getty)
This all continues until Sunday, March 27 in 2022, when the clocks once again go forward and British Summer Time (BST) begins.
The summer solstice, which occurs on June 21, is eight hours, 48 minutes, and 38 seconds longer than the winter solstice.
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The nights are drawing in.
