Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year and the official first day of winter, is on Thursday, Dec. 21, this year (well, for the vast bulk of the Americas anyway).

The late New Zealand philanthropist Sir Eion Edgar led the Winter Games NZ Trust after it was established in 2008, during the time when he was president of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Although New York has already seen its first few snowfalls and chilly temperatures of the season, it's not technically winter until the winter solstice on Dec. 21, or the shortest day of the year ...

NEW YORK -- With the winter solstice upon us at 10:27 p.m., Thursday and Friday will be our shortest days of the year. Sunrise occurred at 7:16 a.m. Thursday and will be at the same time Friday.