Today, Sunday, December 21st, marks the winter solstice for this season 2026/2025.
With the beginning of the winter solstice, the forty-day period known as "the Quadragesima" of winter begins for this season, continuing until January 30th of the following year, and is considered one of the coldest days of the year.
The Director of Meteorological Administration, Raed Al Khattab, previously stated that the winter Quadragesima is an important period in the rainy season, as it typically accounts for 30% of the overall seasonal average, and is characterized by intense cold and various weather phenomena such as frost, freezing, and rainfall or snow.
He added that the winter Quadragesima is followed by the winter Quinquagesima, which contributes to rainfall equating to about 37% of the overall seasonal average, and extends until the beginning of the spring equinox.
Meanwhile, Emad Mujahid, a member of the Arab Union for Space and Astronomy Sciences and a fellow of the British Royal Astronomical Society, said that the winter solstice will be next Sunday, December 21st of this year.
He explained that on this day, the sun will be perpendicular over the Tropic of Capricorn, which lies 23.5 degrees south of the astronomical equator, marking the lowest point it reaches south of the equator during the year. From this day, the astronomical winter begins in the northern hemisphere while summer prevails in the southern hemisphere, lasting for 90 days and marking the start of the winter Quadragesima.
According to Mujahid, on the day of the winter solstice, the sun will rise in Amman at 7:33 AM from the far southeastern corner at an angle of 117 degrees, 38 minutes, and 53 seconds, and will set in the far southwestern corner at an angle of 242 degrees at 5:36 PM, making the length of the night 13 hours and 57 minutes, which is the longest night of the year, while the length of the day is only 10 hours and 3 minutes, the shortest day of the year.
Concurrently with the day of the winter solstice, the forty days of winter begin, which are the coldest days of the year and continue for 40 days, ending on February 1st of each year. They are characterized by severe cold and freezing, especially if east winds blow over the area, which are very cold and dry.
Mujahid added that the Arabs used to determine the date of the winter solstice and the start of the forty days of winter through the "heart rise", which occurs on December 20th each year and lasts for 13 days. During this period, with the rise of the Scorpio constellation, the Arabs knew we were passing through the coldest days of the year. The heart of the Scorpion is a massive red star seen in the Scorpion constellation during the summer, positioned very low towards the southern sky, thus the Arabs considered it one of the Yemeni stars, referring to the southern sky.
