December solstice 2023

The December solstice 2023 is on Friday, December 22, 2023 (in 91 days).  Calendar for 2023

Please note: The dates given on this page are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which for practical purposes is equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). While the December solstice occurs at the same moment in time all over the world, the date and local time differ from location to location depending on a location's time zone. For more details see the explanations below.

The December solstice, also known as southern solstice and Midwinter, is the moment in time when the Sun reaches its southernmost position in the sky as seen from Earth. In the Northern Hemisphere (North and Central America, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia) it is the winter solstice, while in the Southern Hemisphere (South America, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand) it is the summer solstice.

The December solstice occurs every year between December 20 and December 23. The dates given on this page are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which for practical purposes is equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT - the time zone of the United Kingdom). While the December solstice occurs at the same moment in time all over the world, the date and local time differ from place to place depending on the year and a location's time zone. For locations that are ahead of UTC (further east) it may fall on the day after, and for locations that are behind UTC (further west) it may fall on the day before. To find out the exact date and time of the December solstice 2023 in your area use this seasons calculator.

The December solstice marks the last day of autumn (fall)and the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the last day of spring and the first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. It is one of four days with solar events (two equinoxes and two solstices) throughout the year that mark the beginning of a new season. The other days are the March equinox, the June solstice and the September equinox.

Further reading:

• December solstice on Wikipedia
• Solstices in general on Wikipedia

Overview: seasons, equinoxes and solstices

Dates shown apply to the Northern Hemisphere and are based on UTC (GMT)

Season	Start	End
Spring	Spring equinox (vernal equinox, March equinox) March 19 to 21	Summer solstice (June solstice) June 20 to 22
Summer	Summer solstice (June solstice) June 20 to 22	Autumn equinox (Fall equinox, September equinox) September 21 to 24
Autumn (Fall)	Autumn equinox (Fall equinox, September equinox) September 21 to 24	Winter solstice (December solstice) December 20 to 23
Winter	Winter solstice (December solstice) December 20 to 23	Spring equinox (vernal equinox, March equinox) March 19 to 21

The December solstice 2024 is on Saturday, December 21, 2024 (in 456 days).  Calendar for 2024

Dates of the December solstice 2023 and surrounding years as downloadable image file