With the sting of New Year's Day's sunburn still fresh, it's unbelievable we're almost halfway through the year.

Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs in June in the southern hemisphere as the Earth orbits the Sun.

It's the shortest day of the year and the longest night; and the point at which the Earth begins a long, slow turn towards the light.

The days in Australia and the rest of the southern hemisphere will continue to get longer as the Earth continues to orbit the sun, getting closer to the Sun each day until it finally reaches the December summer solstice.

Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and has been marked by festivals and rituals.

In Albury-Wodonga, Survivors of Suicide and Friends will host its 10^th annual event on Tuesday night to bring together the community in commemoration of those who have died by suicide.

It's a poignant and fitting ceremony.

Touching lyrics, heartfelt words and flickering fires resonate with those who show up year after year.

Winter solstice also marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again.

For perspective, the Antarctica experiences as little as two hours of daylight during the solstice, while the South Pole won't see the sun until September.

While the southern hemisphere experiences its shortest day of the year, the northern hemisphere will celebrate its longest in time-honoured festivals.

Helsinki will have about 18 hours and 55 minutes of daylight while towns in Norway's far north will experience 24 hours of daylight.

Blockout curtains are a must.

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