Watch This Year’s Winter Solstice At Stonehenge Online
Many people dream of heading to Stonehenge to experience the winter solstice, now ‘thanks’ to COVID-19 anyone can be there while watching a livestream.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, English Heritage is asking that people not travel to the ancient site of Stonehenge in England to experience the winter solstice. Instead, the organization plans to livestream its celebrations on social media instead, for all to see.
Stonehenge and Winter and Summer Solstice
December 21 is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Known as winter solstice, the event attracts crowds, as people flock to the mystical Stonehenge. Here, it is possible to watch the midwinter sun set and rise over the iconic stones.
Stonehenge remains one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of Britain, as no one knows for sure what drove prehistoric Britons to put so much time and effort into its construction. All that is known for sure is that it is a monument, aligned to the movements of the sun.
About Stonehenge
Archaeologists believe the first phase of building Stonehenge began in and around 3000 BC. This was when the outer circular bank and ditch were erected. However, recent archaeological findings have revealed that the surrounding area was sacred for hundreds of years before the work even began. The massive stones were then shaped and positioned to frame at least two major events in the annual solar cycle – i.e. the midwinter sunset of the winter solstice and the midsummer sunrise of the summer solstice.
Experts believe the winter solstice could have been more important than the summer one for those who built and used Stonehenge. Durrington Walls is a Neolithic settlement located around two miles from Stonehenge and archaeologists believe that the people who built and used Stonehenge lived there. In fact, excavations carried out at Durrington Walls suggest that people held huge feasts around this time of year.
First Look Released Of Jurassic World Velocicoaster Coming To Universal Orlando In 2021 @touristmtravel https://t.co/s2CrVulVKD
— Annemarie @ TMT (@touristmtravel) December 16, 2020
Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
In a statement related to the winter solstice, a spokesperson for English Heritage said, “Owing to the pandemic and in the interests of public health, there will be no Winter Solstice gathering at Stonehenge this year.” They said that instead, the Winter Solstice sunrise will be live-streamed from the stones at Stonehenge on the morning of December 21. The statement read that it will be easy and free to watch on the English Heritage social media channels.
The organizers do understand how appealing it is to travel to Stonehenge for Winter Solstice, but they are asking everyone to rather stay safe and watch the sunrise online instead.
English Heritage is responsible for more than 400 historic monuments, places and buildings in England. These range from world-famous prehistoric sites like Stonehenge, to Roman forts and Hadrian’s Wall, to grand medieval castles, to even a Cold War bunker. Through these historic sites, English Heritage brings the story of England to life for more than 10 million people each year.
Read more about the online event and the work done with preserving these historic sites on English Heritage’s official website.
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our Facebook Page, Follow Our Twitter Account or Head Over To Our Pinterest Page!