Qatar will celebrate the Winter Solstice on December 21, marking the end of autumn and the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The Qatar Meteorological Department says this occurs every year due to the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth as it orbits the Sun.

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, areas near the Arctic Circle experience continuous darkness with no sunrise or sunset. The phenomenon is a major astronomical event that marks the seasonal change to winter.