What happens to the ancient calendar during the winter and summer solstice?

The ancient calendars, like many of the ones devised by various cultures around the world, often marked the winter and summer solstices as significant events. The solstices represent the two points in the year where the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined towards or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon.

During the winter solstice, which occurs around December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted farthest from the Sun, resulting in the shortest day and longest night of the year. Ancient calendars often marked this day as the beginning of winter, and many cultures celebrated it with festivals, rituals, and other observances recognizing the return of longer days to come. Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland are famous prehistoric sites aligned with the winter solstice sunrise, indicating the importance of this event.

Conversely, the summer solstice, which occurs around June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, happens when the North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun. This results in the longest day and shortest night of the year. Ancient calendars would note this as the beginning of summer, and it was often celebrated with joyous festivities, as it signaled the peak of summer with maximum daylight hours. Monuments like the ancient pyramids of Egypt and the Sun Dagger in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, display specific alignments with the summer solstice sun.

In both cases, the ancient calendars served not only as a means of marking time but also as cultural and religious symbols, deeply intertwined with the agricultural cycles, spiritual beliefs, and community events of the civilization.