New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS): Google on Sunday released an adorable snowman doodle to celebrate winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

The word "solstice" originated from the Latin solstitium meaning "sun stands still", when the 'movement of sun's path' stops briefly.

Solstice occurs because the Earth is tilted on its axis of rotation by about 23.5 degrees and the tilt causes each hemisphere to receive different amounts of sunlight throughout the year.

The winter solstice, also known as mid-winter, occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun.

Due to this, earth experiences the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

This year winter begins from December 22 and will last till March 20, 2020, according to the Google.

It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.

In the Northern Hemisphere it is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere it is called June solstice.

People across the globe took to various social media platforms such Twitter and Facebook to wish and celebrate winter solstice.

"In the Northern Hemisphere it is the December solstice and in the Southern Hemisphere it is called June solstice. Happy December Solstice to all life forms on Earth.The Northern Hemisphere's longest night. The Southern Hemisphere's longest day. And for the equator, caught between, a day like any other," a user tweeted from his Twitter account.

Another user wrote: "Wishing my Twitter friends a happy and peaceful Winter Solstice this weekend! The nights will get lighter and only two or three months till flowers make an appearance in the gardens. Hurrah!."