Today is the darkest day of the year. (Stop, please, the cheers and applause is deafening!)
Yes, you’re not the only one who is fed up with coming AND going to and from school or work in complete darkness.
For all its merry merits, December has the shortest daylight period of the year and the sun is even farther from us these days than usual.
Hope is on the horizon
The sun is at the lowest position above the horizon this afternoon, meaning today will be the shortest day of the year.
This is because the sun is perpendicular to the Tropic of Capricorn, in the southern hemisphere, according to AD.nl. This phenomenon is also called the winter solstice and is as depressing as it sounds.
But the good news is that from tomorrow we will gradually return to longer days, so when all the Christmas decorations are gone, there will (eventually) be sunlight on the way!
So when exactly?
Stay in the Christmas spirit for now because you won’t immediately see sunlight begin to stream through your windows each morning. The latest sunrise is still to come on December 30.
READ MORE: 8 ultra-gezellige ways to spend Christmas in Amsterdam [2022 guide]
Following that, you will see half a minute of extra sunlight every day, and not even the Dutch weather can ruin that for us. 💪🏼
What about the weather?
We will have mild days for the coming Christmas days, so there will be no white Christmas this year. Today the temperature will be between 7 and 10 degrees, and most of the Netherlands will stay dry. (Yes, this can happen!)
In the next few days before the holidays, the weather will gradually warm up to around 9 and 12 degrees.
Are you ready for the brighter days? Tell us in the comments below!