As winter sets in
full throttle, search engine giant Google featured a creative winter-inspired
doodle of a hedgehog in the snow. The small animated and colourful hedgehog is
seen walking slowly in the  snow. The doodle depicts the yearly event of the
winter solstice. This day, December 21, is the winter solstice.

 The
word ‘winter’ comes from an old German word, which means “time of water”,
referring to the winter snow and rain in high latitudes.

The winter solstice,
also often known as the hibernal solstice, refers to two climatic events in a
year when the sun is the farthest south in the northern part of the hemisphere,
and farthest north in the southern part of the hemisphere. During the winter
solstice, the sun travels a rather short path through the sky, which makes the
day the shortest, and the night the longest.

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 Various parts
of the world have begun to experience chilling winters. Countries like the United
States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, and India have
begun their winter season. In Delhi, India, Monday (December 20, 2021) set a chilling
record of the lowest minimum temperature of the season yet, at 3.2 degree
Celsius.

According to the
India Meteorological Department (IMD), northwest, central and east parts of
India will continue to experience cold temperatures for the next few days,
after which, temperatures may rise.

 In the northern
parts of India like Jammu and Kashmir, the harshest 40 days of winter
began today and will last till the end of January. Also popularly known as the “chillai
kalan” in the state, these days are said to be the cruelest winter days to
survive. The minimum temperature has been recorded many degrees below the
freezing point, which has resulted in frozen water bodies. Locals set charcoal bonfires
to cope with the chilling winters.