A quick look at winter solstice celebrations around the worldpublished at 08:45 GMT
08:45 GMT
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In Iran, pomegranates are a big part of the celebrations
The longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere is marked by different events and traditions around the world.
In Iran and Central Asia, many celebrate the Persian festival of Yalda, with families and friends gathering – often staying awake all night to eat, drink and read poetry. Nuts and fruits, especially red fruits like watermelon and pomegranate, are traditionally eaten. The occasion celebrates the triumph of light over darkness.
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Crowds gather at Newgrange in Ireland to watch the sun
In Ireland, people gather at Newgrange in County Meath. The mound is thought to be older than Stonehenge, dating from 3200 BC. A gap in the structure is positioned so that during the shortest days of the year, the dawn sunlight illuminates an inner chamber.
In China, today is the Dongzhi festival, which roughly translates as “winter’s arrival”. Families get together to share a meal with traditional foods, such as rice balls called Tang yuan.
And for perhaps the coldest winter solstice celebration – in Antarctica – some scientists at research stations mark the slow return of the sun by cutting a hole in the ice and taking a freezing cold dip.
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Some parts of China also make and eat dumplings during the festivities