The Winter Solstice and its celebrations

The Winter Solstice and its celebrations

Why holidays celebrate this time of year

What is the Winter Solstice?​

​The winter solstice is the time of year when the Northern hemisphere experiences its shortest day and longest night of the year. This is due to the change in the Earth's tilt and the planet's exposure to the sun. This time of year has been celebrated by many cultures in the Northern hemisphere due to the natural changes in light, temperature, and the changing of the seasons.

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Between what days does the winter solstice fall each year?

• 22 December

• 21 December

• 22 July

• 21 July

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For how long is Arctic Circle and north in darknss?

• 24 hours

• 12 hours

• 48 hours

• 20 hours

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Why does the temperature fall during the winter months?

• The sunlight is spread out more over the Southern hemisphere and there is less heat energy available.

• The sunlight is concentrated in a smaller area and other places don't get the heat.

• The amount of sunlight doesn't change but the power from the sun is less.

• The amount of sunlight is dramatically increased but the Earth is too far from the sun to get the heat.

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When is the Earth closest to the Sun?

• During the Northern hemisphere Winter

• During the Northern hemisphere Summer

• During the Southern hemisphere Winter

• During the Southern hemisphere Summer

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Why are temperatures colder in the Northern hemisphere during its Winter than in the Southern hemisphere during its Winter?

• Land cools more quickly than water and the Northern hemisphere has more land so it is therefore cooler.

• The Southern hemisphere has more land and can keep more heat because water cools faster than land.

• The Southern hemisphere has less land and therefore cannot hold onto the heat from the Sun.

• The Northern hemisphere is just naturally cooler so it gets even colder in the Winter.

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When is the Earth at its coldest temperatures?

• During the Northern hemisphere's Winter.

• During the Northern hemisphere's Summer.

• During the Southern hemisphere's Winter.

• During the Southern hemisphere's Summer.

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What happens during the 21 or 22 December in the Southern hemisphere during the Winter Solstice?

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Why was the Winter Solstice celebrated by so many neolithic people?

• It was a time of rebirth.

• Many pagans worshiped nature and saw the changing time as a way to celebrate.

• It was a reason to thank their gods for the change in seasons.

• They wanted a way to communicate with the gods and celebrate nature.

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For how many years have people been celebrating the Winter Solstice?

• Over 5,000 years.

• Almost 2,000 years.

• It started in the 1800's.

• Over 8,000 years.

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What does "solstice" mean?

• Sun stands still

• All alone

• Cold weather

• Souls are taken

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Who did Yalda celebrate?

• Mithra

• Saturn

• Saturnalia

• Yule

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What were other reasons that people would celebrate this time of year?

• To keep people awake during the darkest time of the year.

• To keep people from going crazy with no sunlight.

• To keep people from sleeping so they can sleep the next day.

• To keep people protected during a dangerous time.

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From where does Christmas get many of its traditions?

• From the Germanic tribes and their celebration of "Yule".

• From the Scandanavian people and their celebration of "Tomte".

• From the Romans and their celebration of "Saturnalia".

• From the Iranians and their celebration of "Yalda".

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What are some of the ways that Yule was celebrated?

Open Ended

Why has Christmas gone through such an evolution from its Pagan roots?

Open Ended

What are the ways in which you celebrate this time of year?