Photos show winter solstice traditions around the world as celebrations mark 2023's shortest day

The 2023 winter solstice arrives on Thursday, Dec. 21, with the Northern Hemisphere marking the shortest day of the year, in which most people get just six to eight hours of sunlight.

Known also as the "longest night," the solstice this year is at 10:27 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the National Weather Service. 

While the solstice typically occurs on Dec. 21 or 22, it can be as early as Dec. 20 or as late as Dec. 23, the Weather Channel explains. This happens because our calendars aren't an exact match for the solar year.