Happy winter solstice, it only gets brighter from here! Maybe colder. But brighter! The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, or northern half of the Earth, happens annually on December 21 or 22. It marks the shortest day of the year with the least amount of sunlight. This is caused by the northern half of the Earth being titled as far away from the sun as it can be on its axis, allowing less light to reach the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice has been an important occurrence for cultures around the world for thousands of years. The darkness of winter and return of sunlight has influenced yearlong calendars as well as winter customs, rituals, and storytelling, many preserved in national parks today. Image 1: grandtetonnps Image 2: sfmaritimenps Image 3: lakeclarknps Image 4: kniferiverindianvillagesnps Image 5: homesteadnps Image 6: hopewellohionps Image 7: joshuatreenps Image 8: denalinps Image 9: grandcanyonnps Image 10: yellowstonenps #winter #wintersolstic...