Winter Solstice 2025

 Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere – the shortest day of the year.  The guy above in East England thinks that's something to celebrate.

As does this guy celebrating the winter solstice in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Today is also the summer solstice (the longest day) in the Southern Hemisphere.  Above, celebrating the summer solstice by skinny dipping in Perth, Australia.

We end with this artwork by Mark DeBauch called "Flying Grasshopper – Solstice."  Given the snow and ice, it must be the winter solstice.

Winter Solstice 2023

Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice in North America, the shortest day of the year.  Some parts of the world mark the occasion with naked festivities.  Today's photos are all from a celebration of the winter solstice in Canberra, Australia, by skinny-dipping in Lake Burley Griffin at dawn on the solstice.  Yes, I know the winter solstice in Australia is in June, not December, but I'm showing the photos today to mark our winter solstice.

Above, the crowd of skinny-dippers that entered the lake on June 22, 2023, the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here they are in 2018.

Here are a few who reached one of the floating rafts in 2019.

More skinny-sippers on another raft in 2019.

And here are some guys who reached a raft in 2023.  I like these raft pictures because the swimmers are nicely exposed once they get out of the water.

This photo is also supposed to be from 2023, but where is everyone?  Maybe these guys showed up on the wrong day.  They seem to be praising the sun, which starts getting stronger again after the winter solstice.

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

There's lots of nude activity on the summer solstice (the Fremont Solstice Parade, plus Hike Naked Day).  But in most of the world, the winter solstice is too cold to be naked outdoors.

Nevertheless, there's a Winter Solstice Swim tradition in Australia.  Yes, I know their winter solstice is our summer solstice (in June), but I'm posting it now for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere to appreciate.

Here's a group of buddies in Canberra, Australia, going for their winter solstice dip last year.

And in Hobart, Tasmania, which is considerably colder, hundreds of people participate in the winter solstice swim as part of the annual Dark Mofo festival.  This footage is from 2019.