Google has marked the shortest day of the year with an animated Doodle on its homepage.
The Doodle can be seen with a cartoon Father Christmas helping two children to build a snowman before the children's mother appears and produces a carrot from her shopping bag to use as the snowman's nose, the Independent reported.
The winter solstice occurs when the sun's daily maximum elevation in the sky is at its lowest and the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun.
The event has been marked by many cultures throughout history with festivals, rituals, celebrations and the mating of animals.
