Winter Solstice celebrated at historical sites

Focusing on “renewal, rebirth and good vibes”, the winter solstice sunrise was greeted by thousands of people at Stonehenge.

The ancient site opened its memorial area at 07:45 GMT so crowds could watch the sun shine on the iconic stones.

Despite Wiltshire’s windy morning, people followed the “spiritual charm of the area” to mark the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

From now on, the nights will slowly start getting shorter again and the days will slowly start getting longer.

The sun rose over Stonehenge at about 08:09 to thunderous cheers and applause.

It’s scheduled to set at 16:02, meaning there will be a little less than eight hours of daylight.

Chris Smith, a 31-year-old civil servant, visited Stonehenge for the first time.

“It’s all about renewal, rebirth, we’re entering the new year, and it’s also a good time to acknowledge what’s been going on in the past year,” he said.

“For me, I’ve been through a bit of a tumultuous year, a lot has happened for me in the last 24 months, and this is an opportunity to consolidate everything that’s happened this year and bury it in the past and move on to this next new Be able to move forward in the year.

“There’s such a vibrancy there. I mean, if you look around, you’ll find everyone here, there’s such energy in the space.

“You can really feel it, like it’s all a good atmosphere. People are just enjoying themselves here, and that’s one of the attractions of these types of events.

“We’ve got people from all walks of life here. It’s community. And I think in this day and age, that’s a really important thing to do.”

The stones are believed to have been placed there around 2,500 BC, aligning with the movement of the sun during the two solstices, marking the change of seasons.

Normally, entry is prohibited for large crowds of people, but English Heritage opens the site for the summer and winter solstices.

Steve Bax, Stonehenge director of English Heritage, said: “It was fantastic to welcome almost 4,500 people to Stonehenge this morning to celebrate the winter solstice, and we are delighted that more than 100,000 people watched live online from around the world.

“Despite the sun not being visible it was a joyous and peaceful celebration and it was great to see so many families enjoying themselves around the memorial.”

At nearby Avebury, home to another ancient stone circle, two men in cloaks can be seen blowing horns as people gather to watch the sunrise in the fields.

Near the stone circle there is a group of beech trees on which people tie ribbons.

This is a Pagan tradition known as a “wishing tree”, done as a prayer to the tree spirits or in memory of loved ones.

In Somerset, Glastonbury Tor also saw crowds of people climbing the hill to mark the sunrise this morning.

The Tor forms part of the ruins of the 15th-century St Michael’s Church, and rises 518 feet (158 m) above Somerset Level to give panoramic views of Wales, the Bristol Channel, Wiltshire, the Polden Hills and Exmoor.

Some people consider it a spiritual site, like Stonehenge.

A fire was lit on the hill top and songs were sung by the people gathered there.