On the twenty-first day of this month, in our latitude, occurs the
shortest day in the year. The sun rises at 7:20 and sets at 4:37, making
the day’s length 9 hours, 17 minutes. This is also the day on which
properly our winter begins. The sun has reached the winter solstice, his
most southerly point, and now begins his journey northward, causing the
days to grow gradually longer.