When is the Winter Solstice? Date: December 21 to 23

Winter Solstice Date 2024 & 2025 - December 21st

2025 Winter Solstice Date

When is the Winter Solstice this year? In China, the 2024 & 2025 Winter Solstice is on December 21, 2024. There is no holiday off for this festival.
 

When does the Winter Solstice start?

What time is the Winter Solstice? In China, the 2024 Winter Solstice is at 17:20:20 on December 21. In 2025, it is at 23:02:48 on December 21.

 

Winter Solstice Dates change between December 21st and 23rd.

2025 Winter Solstice Date
2025
2026
2027
What day is the Winter Solstice? Winter Solstice dates change among December 21, 22 and 23.

Why? The reason is that Winter Solstice is when the daytime is the shortest of the year and when the sun shines directly with 90 degrees on the Tropic of Capricorn. It takes every 365.24219 days for this happening, which is the time for one earth revolution. But there are 365 days or 366 days in a year which is longer or shorter than the actual time for one earth revolution. Thus, the date of Winter Solstice changes.

 See also What is Winter Solstice? - The Shortest Day of the Year

As a traditional Chinese festival, why do Winter Solstice dates only change between December 21st and 23rd in Gregorian calendar, not like Chinese New Year dates change greatly between late January and late February, Mid-Autumn Festival dates change between early September and early October. This is because Winter Solstice was found by ancient Chinese in accordance with the “move of the Sun” and current Gregorian calendar is also a kind of solar calendar, while most Chinese traditional festival dates are in accordance with lunar calendar. 

 

Calendar of Winter Solstice Day (2000 – 2050)

     Years           Winter Solstice Dates            Day        
2000 December 21 Thursday
2001 December 22 Saturday
2002 December 22 Sunday
2003 December 22 Monday
2004 December 21 Tuesday
2005 December 22 Thursday
2006 December 22 Friday
2007 December 22 Saturday
2008 December 21 Sunday
2009 December 22 Tuesday
2010 December 22 Wednesday
2011 December 22 Tuesday
2012 December 21 Friday
2013 December 22 Sunday
2014 December 22 Monday
2015 December 22 Tuesday
2016 December 21 Wednesday
2017 December 22 Friday
2018 December 22 Saturday
2019 December 22 Sunday
2020 December 21 Monday
2021 December 21 Tuesday
2022 December 22 Thursday
2023 December 22 Friday
2024 December 21 Saturday
2025 December 21 Sunday
2026 December 22 Tuesday
2027 December 22 Wednesday
2028 December 21 Thursday
2029 December 21 Friday
2030 December 22 Sunday
2031 December 22 Monday
2032 December 21 Tuesday
2033 December 21 Wednesday
2034 December 22 Friday
2035 December 22 Saturday
2036 December 21 Sunday
2037 December 21 Monday
2038 December 22 Wednesday
2039 December 22 Thursday
2040 December 21 Friday
2041 December 21 Saturday
2042 December 22 Monday
2043 December 22 Tuesday
2044 December 21 Wednesday
2045 December 21 Thursday
2046 December 22 Saturday
2047 December 22 Sunday
2048 December 21 Monday
2049 December 21 Tuesday
2050 December 22 Thursday
 

You May Like:

2, 500 Years' History of Winter Solstice in China 

Winter Solstice Facts: 11 Things You Should Know

- Last updated on Sep. 24, 2024 by Gabby Li -