Winter Solstice represents the shortest day in the year. It is usually around December 22. In the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendars , there is a concept of 24 periods (二十四節氣) in that each period matches a particular astronomical event. According to the ancient Chinese experience, the coldest day of the year will be the last day of the third set of 9-day starting from Winter Solstice. Or simply put, the 27th days from December 22 of the previous year.
Tonight, the first significant snow storm visits Boston. There is no good reason not to go out and experience that, with a camera, of course. As Aristotle said, “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”