PICS: 'Druids' welcome winter solstice at Stonehenge

Tuesday, December 22, 2015, 12:16 PM - December 22 seems like an arbitrary date for the start of winter (check out the guy who petitioned the UK government to change it to something that isn't "stupid").

But while it doesn't usually reflect how the season actually progresses, it holds special significance in many cultures as more-or-less the date where Earth's axis is tilted the furthest away from the sun. That maximizes the amount of sunlight hitting the southern hemisphere, and minimizes the amount hitting the north. For us, it's the shortest day of the year.

And every time it rolls around, you can always find thousands of revelers at Stonehenge, a stone age neolithic site in the U.K. that is believed to have been a major druidic centre.

Here's a selection of the best shots from this year's solstice. Enjoy!