The summer solstice, otherwise known as the longest day of the year, is fast approaching, marking the return of brighter evenings, festivals, picnics and barbecues.
It may feel like summer has already arrived, with
deckchairs already out in parks and holidays booked, but
technically speaking, the astronomical summer doesn't begin until later
this month.
Read on below to find everything you need to know
about summer, the solstice, traditions, the significance of Stonehenge, and
how to celebrate it.
When
is the longest day of the year?
In the northern hemisphere, summer solstice, or
longest day of the year, takes place between June 20 and 22 each year.
This year it falls on Friday, June 21, when
the UK will enjoy 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight. The sun will
rise at 4.43am and will set at 9.21pm.
The solstice officially marks the beginning of
astronomical summer, which ends when the autumn equinox falls on September 23.
Day and night will be at almost equal length on this day, as the sun crosses
the celestial equator and moves southward into the northern hemisphere.
What happens during the summer solstice?
There are two solstices each year, one in the winter and one in the summer. The summer solstice occurs when the tilt of Earth's axis is most inclined towards the sun and is directly above the Tropic of Cancer.
Traditionally, the summer solstice period fell between the planting and harvesting of crops, leaving people who worked the land time to relax. This is why June became the traditional month for weddings.
It might seem like a day to celebrate, but it actually signals the moment the sun's path stops moving northward in the sky, and the start of days becoming steadily shorter as the slow march towards winter begins.
However,
we won't notice the days becoming shorter for a while. The shortest day of
the year isn't until Sunday, December 22, known as the winter solstice; it
lasts for 7 hours and 50 minutes in Britain, which is 8 hours,
48 minutes shorter than the June solstice.
At
the winter solstice, the Earth's axis is
tilted furthest away from the sun directly over the Tropic of
Capricorn bringing only a few hours of daylight.
In
the southern hemisphere the dates of the two solstices are reversed. The winter
solstice occurs on the same day in June and the summer solstice the same
day in December.
The
term 'solstice' derives from the Latin word 'solstitium', meaning 'sun standing
still'. Some prefer the more teutonic term 'sunturn' to describe the event.
Astrologers
say the sun seems to 'stand still' at the point on the horizon where
it appears to rise and set, before moving off in the reverse
direction.
Summer
solstice traditions: why is Stonehenge so significant?
Stonehenge in Avebury, Wiltshire is
the most popular place for Pagans to celebrate the longest day because it
famously aligns to the solstices. The rising sun only reaches the
middle of the stones one day of the year when it shines on the central altar.
Built in three phases between
3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C Stonehenge's exact purpose still remains a
mystery. The stones were brought from very long distances, the bluestones from
the Preseli Hills more than 150 miles away, and the sarsens probably from
the Marlborough Downs, 19 miles to the north.
The
day marks the ancient middle of summer. It has significance for pagans who have
always believed that midsummer day holds a special power.
Midsummer's
eve was believed to be a time when the veil between this world and the
next is at its thinnest, and when fairies were, though, to be at their most
powerful.
Over
the centuries, the June solstice has inspired many festivals and midsummer
celebrations involving bonfires, picnics, singing, watching the sun
rise and Maypole dancing. Many towns and villages across Britain
still mark the day.
One ritual was the lighting
of fires, heralding the start of shorter days, although this doesn't
really happen anymore. The idea was that flames would keep the dark
away.
Source: The Telegraph