It's cold and dark during winter. No wonder our days feel so short. Once the clocks go back in October, our days have less and less sunlight until we reach the winter solstice. What is it?

Historically, the winter solstice has been of great importance to many cultures, such as Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome, often as a marker for the passing seasons, and a possible time of rebirth.

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of tourists, pagans, druids and people simply yearning for the promise of spring marked the dawn of the shortest day of the year Saturday at the ancient Stonehenge monument.