The shortest day length that occurs in the Northern hemisphere is on

The shortest day length in the Northern Hemisphere occurs during the winter solstice, which typically falls on December 21 or 22 [1]. On this date, the Sun's rays fall directly on the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere, causing the Northern Hemisphere to be tilted farthest away from the Sun [2]. Consequently, regions north of the equator experience the minimum duration of sunlight and the longest night of the year [2]. While the exact timing of the solstice can vary between December 20 and 23 due to the calendar's leap year cycle, December 21 and 22 are the most frequent dates. In contrast, the March and September dates represent equinoxes where day and night are of equal length globally [3]. Therefore, 22nd December is the correct option among the choices provided for the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sources

1. [1] Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 12: Earth, Moon, and the Sun > 12.2.2 Seasons on the Earth > p. 179
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Winter Solstice > p. 253
3. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Equinox > p. 254