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Thousands meet at Stonehenge to celebrate winter solstice

Thousands of people including pagans, druids and dancers have gathered at the ancient Stonehenge monument for the winter solstice, marking the shortest day of the year.

During sunrise at 8.09am, there was a flurry of drumming, chanting and singing.

However, there was no actual sun in Wiltshire, because of low cloud across the site.

There will be less than eight hours of daylight on Saturday but, after that, the days get longer until the summer solstice in June.

The summer and winter solstices are the only occasions when visitors can go right up to the stones at Stonehenge.

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Morris dancers performed in front of the stones. Pic: PA

A person's face is daubed with blue paint as they take part in the winter Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton)
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Celebrations were energetic, loud and colourful. Pic: AP

Arthur Pendragon 'knights' a member of the public as they take part in the winter solstice celebrations during sunrise at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.
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Senior druid, Arthur Pendragon, ‘knights’ a member of the public. Pic: PA

The stone circle, which includes giant pillars, was erected starting about 5,000 years ago by a sun-worshiping Neolithic culture.

But its full purpose is still debated.

A man lays hands on one of the stones during the winter Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton)
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Stonehenge holds a spiritual significance for some people. Pic: AP

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What was Stonehenge built for?

Recently it has been speculated the site may have had a political as well as spiritual significance.

The effort to transport the stones hundreds of miles, with only primitive tools, suggests they had a unifying purpose.

People touch one of the stones as they take part in the winter solstice celebrations during sunrise at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.
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Pic: PA

Also it has been discovered that the stone lying flat at the centre of the monument, called the “altar stone” originated in Scotland, not Wales, as originally thought.

The smaller stones – bluestones – that form the inner horseshoe and outer circle are known to have been quarried from the Preseli Hills of western Wales.

People take part in the winter solstice celebrations during sunrise at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.
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Stonehenge shortly before sunrise at 8.09am. Pic: AP

People take part in the winter solstice celebrations during sunrise at the Stonehenge prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.
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Cloud cover prevented people seeing a spectacular sunrise. Pic: AP

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Stonehenge is built on the alignment of the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset and it is believed that solstices have been celebrated there for thousands of years.

The winter solstice was also observed in many different parts of the world.

People take a Yuzu-yu bath steeped with yuzu citrus at a hot spring facility in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture on December 21, 2024, the winter solstice. Japanese tradition say that you do not catch a cold for one year if you take yuzu bath on solstice day.( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
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In Japan, one tradition during the winter solstice is a yuzu bath. Pic: AP

21 December 2024, Spain, Palma: Locals and tourists meet at dawn to watch the sunrise with a view of the cathedral on the day of the winter solstice. Photo by: Clara Margais/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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Palma’s cathedral was the perfect backdrop for people watching the sunrise. Pic: AP

In Japan, there is a tradition of taking a yuzu bath – steeped with yuzu citrus – which myth suggests will prevent you catching a cold for a year.

And in Palma, on the Spanish island of Majorca, people gathered to watch the sunrise – with the city’s cathedral providing a spectacular backdrop.

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