Thousands greet the winter solstice at the ancient Stonehenge monument

LONDON (AP) — Thousands of tourists, pagans, druids and people yearning for the promise of spring have marked the dawn of the shortest day of the year at the ancient Stonehenge monument. Some cheered and others beat drums as the sun rose at 8:09 a.m. on Saturday over the giant standing stones on the day of the winter solstice. No one could see the sun through the low winter cloud, but that did not deter a flurry of drumming, chanting and singing as dawn broke. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. Stonehenge was erected starting about 5,000 years ago by a sun-worshiping Neolithic culture. Its full purpose is still debated.