[2] The tradition of Midwinter celebration is most often credited to Robert Falcon Scott and the crew of the Discovery Expedition who, on June 23, 1902, observed "mid-winter festival" in a deliberate imitation of Christmas.

Midwinter Day became a continent-wide event, although stations varied in the degree and manner in which they celebrated.

Because winter resupplies are still a rare occurrence, most of the ingredients for these courses are saved for months specifically for the celebration.

National leaders, such as the President of the US and the Prime Minister of the UK, also send greetings to the stations of their respective countries.

Today, as in the earliest days of Midwinter celebrations, personnel often give performances such as music, dance, and theater.

[1] On a number of stations, a tradition has emerged of watching horror films about being trapped in snow, such as The Shining or The Thing.