In pictures: Thousands gather at Stonehenge to mark the shortest day of the year
21 December 2024, 12:44
Thousands gathered at Stonehenge to greet the sunrise with cheers and applause to celebrate the winter solstice this morning.
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Pictures showed huge crowds at the monument in Wiltshire to mark the shortest day of the year.
And despite high winds and grey skies, those in attendance were in good spirits.
Chris Smith, 31, who had come to Stonehenge for the winter solstice for the first time, said he was there because of the "spiritual draw of the area".
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He told PA: "This is all about renewal, rebirth, we're entering into the new year, and it's also a good time to acknowledge what's taking place in the year that's been.
"For me, I've gone through a bit of a tumultuous year, there's been lots that has taken place for me in the past 24 months, and this is an opportunity to consolidate everything that has taken place this year and bury that in the past and be able to move forward then into this next new year."
The civil servant added: "There's such a vibe. I mean, if you look around, you've got everybody here, there's such an energy in the space.
"You can really feel it, like it's all good vibes. People are just here enjoying themselves, and that's kind of one of the draws of these sorts of events.
"We have got people here from all walks of life. This is the community. And I think in today's age, this is a really important thing to do."
Julie Hypher said it felt "really important to come and honour the annual cycle".
She added it was "just amazing" with "so much energy".
Every winter for thousands of years people have gathered to mark the winter solstice at Stonehenge.
The dates of the equinoxes and solstices vary because the Gregorian calendar does not exactly match the length of the tropical year - the time it takes the Earth to complete an orbit around the Sun.
English Heritage's Stonehenge director Steve Bax said: "It was fantastic to welcome around 4,500 people to Stonehenge this morning to celebrate winter solstice, and we were delighted that more than 100,000 people also watched live online from around the world.
"It was an enjoyable and peaceful celebration despite the sun not making an appearance and it was great to see so many families enjoying themselves around the monument."
