Earth’s axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. As Earth makes its yearly trip, that tilt means the Northern and Southern Hemispheres trade places receiving the most direct sunlight. When the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the Sun, it gets summer while the Southern Hemisphere gets winter, and vice versa six months later.
The seasons are not caused by Earth being closer to or farther from the Sun. The distance change over the year is small and would not produce strong seasons on its own. What matters is the angle of sunlight: direct rays hit the ground at a steep angle and concentrate energy into a smaller area, while slanted rays spread the same energy over a larger area and warm the surface less.
That is also why places near the equator barely have seasons — the angle of sunlight stays roughly the same all year. The further you go from the equator, the larger the swing between summer and winter because the angle of sunlight changes more over the year.
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