10 things you should know about the winter solstice

1. Ancient cultures relied on the winter solstice for survival because they knew they were halfway through the dark cold winters.

2. It is impossible to predict the exact time of the solstice.

3. Winter solstice is the first day of the winter season.

4. Solstice means "sun standing still".

5. Winter solstice happens at the same time as the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere.

6. More than seven religions have holidays that derive from the winter solstice.

7. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

8. It is also the longest night of the year.

9. Several megalithic structures line up with the winter solstice.

10. One of the first winter solstice rituals in recorded history was pagan and was the burning of the yule log. The pagans believed burning the yule log would entice the sun to burn brighter.