Druids, pagans mark shortest day of year during foggy sunrise at Stonehenge
By APTuesday, December 22, 2009
Druids, pagans mark shortest day of year
LONDON — Hundreds of people have celebrated the winter solstice at Stonehenge, braving snowy travel conditions and a morning fog.
About 700 people — including pagans and druids — saw the sun rise at the ancient rocks near Salisbury, England.
Peter Carson, Stonehenge’s director, said it “was really looking picture-postcard perfect.”
Carson said winter solstice can fall between Dec. 20 and 23. He said this year, winter solstice came after the sun set on Dec. 21, making Tuesday the shortest day of the year.
Summer solstice is also observed at the site, but Carson said the winter celebrations are increasingly popular.
He said there’s a “better understanding that Stonehenge was a monument more significant at the winter rather than summer solstice.”
