Relative to the Winter Solstice date, when does the actual earliest sunset usually occur?

Answer

A few days before the solstice.

Due to the discrepancy between solar time and mean time, the actual earliest sunset often shifts to a date occurring a few days prior to the solstice.

Relative to the Winter Solstice date, when does the actual earliest sunset usually occur?
lightseasonYeardaySolstice