Bad news for sun lovers: the sun will set before 4:30 p.m. from November 9, 2026, through January 10, 2027. After that, it will return very, very slowly until the summer solstice.
It’s all because of the winter solstice, which falls on December 21. It’s the longest night of the year, but November often has the gloomy reputation of being the darkest and dreariest month. Maybe that’s also why we’ll be covering Montreal with thousands of tiny colored lights and velvet ribbons, piled high on every concrete surface in the city, right up until the end-of-year holidays.
November 9 is a Monday, and we recommend treating yourself to a little serotonin boost so your body can better cope with the world growing darker before the end of the year.
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THE WINTER SOLSTICE
The winter solstice is an astronomical event caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to the planet’s orbit around the sun. From the equinox (Sept. 22) to the winter solstice (Dec. 21), the Northern Hemisphere—which includes Canada—is farther from the sun’s warm rays than at any other time of the year.
We get less sunlight, and the days grow shorter and colder. The nights grow longer, culminating in the longest night of the year—the night of the solstice. It’s also the official start of winter—astronomically speaking, even though it often snows well before then in Montreal.
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THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE YEAR
On Monday, November 9, the sun will set at 4:30:32 p.m., and until the winter solstice, it will set earlier and earlier. The darkest days can also be a time for reflection, poetry, and rest—and we certainly need it.
To celebrate the first sunset at 4:30 p.m., we recommend:
- Lighting a brand-new candle for some light—but in a more romantic way—we love the ones from ABÉO.KAS, made of beeswax and carved with poems, available at Prélude Vintage ($16 for 2)
- to turn off your phone, eat some soup, and take a bath—to lose track of time and go to bed early
- to let loose and go out for a drink on a Monday night, but at 5 p.m. (it’ll already be dark)
- to make a list of all the holiday markets where we’ll go to warm up before the end of the year
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