Thousands greet the Sun at Stonehenge solstice celebration

Thousands of people gathered at Stonehenge on Saturday to witness the sunrise at the ancient British monument, marking the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Spectators cheered as the sun rose over the neolithic site in southwest England, celebrating the winter solstice, a pagan tradition believed to date back thousands of years.

Among the 4,500 attendees were druids and others in folk dress, marking the occasion with rituals and festivities. The day is one of the rare occasions when visitors are allowed to touch the stones, which align with the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset.

"This is all about renewal, rebirth, we're entering into the new year, and it's also a good time to acknowledge what's taking place in the year that's been," said Chris Smith, 31, a civil servant.

Stonehenge, a neolithic circle of giant stones, has been a source of fascination and mystery for nearly 5,000 years. Legends from the Middle Ages attribute the monument to the wizard Merlin, who was said to have stolen it from Ireland.