What is winter solstice? When is the winter solstice in 2024? What are the characteristics of Geography in Vietnam?

What is winter solstice? When is the winter solstice in 2024?

The Winter Solstice, or Dongzhi, is one of the 24 solar terms of the ancient Chinese calendar, marking the midpoint of winter. It is considered a significant turning point in the natural cycle, symbolizing the end of darkness and the beginning of light.

What is the Winter Solstice?

The Winter Solstice typically begins around December 21 or 22 in the Gregorian calendar (after the Great Snow festival) and ends around January 5 or 6 of the following year, before the Minor Cold festival begins.

The day of the Winter Solstice contains the solstice point according to the local time zone. On this day, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This occurs because the Earth's axis is tilted away from the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in a shorter duration of sunlight.

Conversely, in the Southern Hemisphere, the Earth's axis is tilted towards the Sun, leading to the longest day and the shortest night of the year. This is the result of Earth's axial tilt and its elliptical orbit around the Sun, creating a distinct contrast in day length between the two hemispheres at the same time.

Astronomy:

Shortest day, longest night: The Winter Solstice is when the Sun is at its furthest point south of the equator, causing the Northern Hemisphere to receive the least amount of sunlight. This results in the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

The Earth's Movement: This phenomenon is a result of Earth's axial rotation and its orbit around the Sun.

Significance in Agriculture: The Winter Solstice helps farmers predict weather, plan production, and preserve crops.

Culture and Lifestyle:

Vietnam: Tet Nguyen Tieu in the North: In some areas of Northern Vietnam, the Winter Solstice is also known as Tet Nguyen Tieu, similar in importance to the Lunar New Year.

Ancestor Worship: Vietnamese people often hold ancestor worship rituals on the Winter Solstice to show respect to their ancestors.

Traditional Food: Rice ball soup is an essential dish during the Winter Solstice, symbolizing reunion and good fortune.

The Winter Solstice in 2024 falls on December 21 (Saturday), corresponding to the 21st day of the 11th lunar month.

This is the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the transition from autumn to winter. Many cultures around the world, especially in Asia, regard the Winter Solstice as an important festival, organizing various traditional activities to celebrate.

Above is information is for reference only.

What is winter solstice? When is the winter solstice in 2024? What are the characteristics of Geography in Vietnam? (Image from the Internet)

What are the characteristics of the Geography subject in Vietnam?

Based on Section 1 of the General Geography curriculum issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the specific characteristics of the Geography curriculum are as follows:

- Geography education is implemented at all levels of general education. In primary and lower secondary education, geography content is included in the History and Geography subject.

- In high school, Geography is a subject within the group of social sciences chosen according to the students' interests and career aspirations.

- Geography is both a social science (economic-social geography) and a natural science (physical geography), providing students with basic knowledge of geographic science, related careers, and the ability to apply geographic knowledge in life;

Simultaneously consolidating and expanding core general education knowledge and skills formed during the basic education phase, providing a solid foundation for students to continue studying geographically related careers.

What is the educational orientation for the Geography subject in Vietnam?

According to Section 7 of the General Geography curriculum issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the general orientation in Geography education is specified as follows:

- Evaluating educational outcomes in Geography aims to provide accurate and prompt information about students' achievement levels in meeting the program's requirements and their progress to guide learning activities.

- The basis for evaluating students' educational outcomes includes the required competencies and qualities as specified in the overall curriculum and the Geography subject program.

- Regarding evaluation content, in addition to knowledge assessment, there should be an increased focus on evaluating students’ skills such as working with maps, atlases, graphs, diagrams, data tables, pictures, observing, collecting, processing, and systematizing information, using outdoor learning tools, and using technology and communication information in learning. Emphasis is placed on assessing the ability to apply knowledge in specific situations.

- Diversifying evaluation forms, increasing regular assessment for all students using various forms. Combining teacher evaluations with self-assessment and peer assessment among students.

- Educational outcomes are assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively through regular and periodic evaluations, based on which the overall evaluation of students' qualities, competencies, and progress is aggregated.