The winter Solstice is one of the milestones of every year. To some it is the mere acknowledgement that winter has begun. To others it is the celebration of the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The Solstice is a Latin word combining the words sol meaning sun and Sistere meaning to stand still, hence, solstice could mean the time when the sun stands still. Astronomically speaking it is when the sun appears to be at its farthest below the celestial equator. The Winter Solstice is one of the prime days marked on calendars as December 21. From: http://www.crystalinks.com/wintersolstice.html

The Winter Solstice is called many things by different people. The Norse called it Yule and celebrated by burning Yule logs and having ham for a meal and even  hanging of mistletoe. The Romans called  the Winter Solstice Saturnalia and often had developed from a day of celebration to a week-long party. During that week there were animal sacrifices and feasts. It was the only time of year gambling was allowed and even slaves could gamble and on the winter solstice day itself, many were exempt from punishment. It was a time to eat, drink and be merry. Christianity soon eclipsed the Roman celebrations and adapted many of the Norse traditions into the Christmas holiday. The Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa and many others are also celebrated at this time.from  

Nowadays many still celebrate the Solstice in a more formally and traditional way. Wiccans celebrate it as one of the eight Sabbats or lunar holidays marking the rebirth of the God. Druids, when able, gather at Stonehenge to end their mourning of the death of the light. Other Pagan beliefs celebrate the solstice in similar ways. At the root of all these celebrations is the neolithic fear of the light of the sun never returning and the joy that it has returned.

In modern day while many are more knowledgeable and know better, we still have this inherent Ancestral fear. Current trends have found that many people appear to have symptoms of what some Psychiatrists refer to as S A D or seasonal affective disorder. Even though the days get progressively longer many over-eat, show signs of anxiety, lethargy and depression; for many it is just a case of wintertime blues however. from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/12/20/f-winter-solstice.html

In conclusion, the Winter Solstice has far-reaching and long-lasting effects on the culture of today’s world, just as it did as far back as the time of Neolithic mankind and will continue to have a similar effect for a long time to come.