Winter Solstice at Stonehenge Draws Huge Crowd

The legendary end of the Mayan calendar drew huge crowds to Stonehenge today to mark the Winter Solstice.

Last year, more than 1,000 people witnessed the sunrise on the shortest day of the year on Salisbury Plain in England. But this morning, a crowd of nearly 5,000 revelers turned up at the centuries-old stone circle.  A mixture of pagans, modern-day druids and curious onlookers greeted the start of the winter and the promise of lengthening days.

The winter solstice - when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere – occurred at 11:12AM local time (6:12AM EST).

The last day of the ancient Mayan calendar corresponds with the Winter Solstice.  The myth of the end of the world is connected to the 5,125 year "long count" cycle of the Mayan/Aztec calendar, which ended this year.

Summer Solstice usually draws over 35,000 people to Stonehenge.  I can see that.