Humans have been celebrating these events for millennia and on modern-day solstice days, ancient and new traditions mix around the world. Some of the best-known summer solstice festivities take place ...

Over 6,000 years old and still a site for worship, Stonehenge remains a unique place. As the first rays of the sun shine into ...

With the rise of Christianity, particularly during the Christianisation of Europe, the Church often integrated existing pagan ...

Did you know that some of the oldest human-made structures on Earth align precisely with the rising sun on the summer ...

In Romania, dancers wearing crowns of wheat gathered for the Sanziene, or “Fairies," a pre-Christian, pagan celebration in ...

From Stone Age astronomy to Viking law and Roman goddesses, cultures across time have honored the longest day of the year ...

The winter solstice has the least amount of incoming heat directly from sunlight. However, for nearly the whole of Australia, the coldest weather does not arrive when the days are shortest.

The latter, dubbed Erika the Red and measuring 15 metres from dragon head to stern, has been hand-built by the very community members who plan to set it alight on June 21 to mark the winter solstice.

This solstice falls between June 20 and 22. Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun — leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year.

The Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice will occur on June 21. Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact ...