Today is the winter solstice, marking the Northern Hemisphere’s shortest day.
Why solstice? It’s science so there must be a Latin connection, right? Right.
During the course of a year, the subsolar point—the spot on the Earth’s surface directly beneath the Sun—slowly moves along a north-south axis. Having reached its northernmost point at the June solstice, it starts moving southward until it crosses the equator on the day of the September equinox. At the December solstice, which marks the southernmost point of its journey, it stops again to start its journey back toward the north.
This is how the solstices got their name: the term comes from the Latin words sol and sistere, meaning “Sun” and “to stand still”.
— December Solstice 2021: Longest & Shortest Day
The good news is that it’s all uphill from here.
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J.R. Johnson 
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