Tomorrow, 21 June marks the shortest day of the year in Antarctica and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) will be celebrating the tradition of Midwinter's Day. With 24 hours of darkness across some of the continent and the landscape locked in frozen silence, this day is the halfway point of the long Antarctic winter, a symbolic turning point as the days slowly begin to stretch back toward light.
The tradition is thought to date back to 1902, when Robert Falcon Scott and his expedition team braved their first Antarctic winter. To boost morale in the harsh conditions, they transformed Midwinter's Day into a moment of joy, complete with decorations, gifts, and a feast. That first celebration set the tone for what would become a lasting tradition for teams working through the Antarctic winter, also known as 'winterers.'
Today, the essence of Midwinter lives on across BAS stations, including Rothera, King Edward Point, and Bird Island. For the first time, the RRS Sir David Attenborough is in the region and will partake in the celebration from near Elephant Island. The festivities remain a time for joy and reflection amid the deep winter.
The day usually starts by sharing Midwinter greetings. A special breakfast will be served, followed by giving handmade gifts to colleagues. Staff working in research stations will spend many hours using their crafting abilities to make unique and special presents, as there are no shops in Antarctica! They will then have a celebratory dinner. The last delivery of fresh produce to the stations will have been many weeks ago, however our talented chefs work hard to create a Midwinter feast, rivalling any fine dining experience back in the UK. It has also been a chilling tradition to huddle together to watch John Carpenter's The Thing, a horror film set in Antarctica.
This year marks a special milestone: the 70th anniversary of the BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast. Hosted by Cerys Matthews of BBC Radio 6 fame, the programme brings heartfelt messages from family, friends, and supporters back in the UK – a treasured moment of connection for those spending months far from home. The broadcast features interviews with special guests, all offering warmth and encouragement to the teams down south. The programme will be broadcast on BBC World Service on Saturday 21 June at 19:30 long wave and 21:30 short wave. A longer programme will be available on BBC Sounds.
Midwinter's Day is a powerful time for reflection and to look forward to the light that will eventually come again. Happy Midwinter from everyone at British Antarctic Survey.
