Saturday is the shortest day of the year in the Netherlands

The shortest day of the year arrived on Saturday with the winter solstice, signaling the start of longer days in the Netherlands. At 10:19 a.m. local time, the sun reached its southernmost point in the sky, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn.

This marks the beginning of gradual daylight extension, with each day gaining a few minutes. Currently, the length of a day is around 7 hours and 40 minutes, but by early January, it will increase to over 8 hours.

By mid-February, the country will experience a full 10 hours between sunrise and sunset. March 20 will bring the spring equinox, with equal day and night lengths, marking the official start of astronomical spring.

The longest day of the year will arrive in June, with nearly 17 hours of daylight.