First day of Summer!

Most of us feel that summer has been here for a while now, but actually today June 21st is official the first day of summer, also known as Summer Solstice. After a bit of researching on the web I came across some very interesting facts that I would love to share with you about the “longest day of the year”.

The summer solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's and the moon's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun, at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the summer solstice is an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like Midsummer to refer to the day on which it occurs. Except in the Polar Regions (where daylight is continuous for many months), the day on which the summer solstice occurs is the day of the year with the longest period of daylight. The summer solstice occurs in June in the Northern Hemisphere north of the Tropic of Cancer (23°26'N) and in December in the Southern Hemisphere south of the Tropic of Capricorn (23°26'S. The Sun reaches its highest position in the sky on the day of the summer solstice. However, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, the highest sun position does not occur at the summer solstice, since the sun reaches the zenithhere and it does so at different times of the year depending on the latitude of the observer. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs some time between December 21 and December 22 each year in the Southern Hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied among cultures, but most have held recognition of sign of the fertility, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.^[3]

The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).

Source: Wikepedia

People all over the world celebrate this remarkable act of nature with rituals, dances, picnics, etc. There is the “Tour of Stonehenge – Summer Solstice Festival“this annual celebration is held at the world heritage site of Stonehenge on England’s Salisbury plain.

(for more information click here)

If you can’t make it to England lets keep it local our lovely Town of Hingham has an annual celebration of summer as well and it’s held at the World’s End where family’s gather for a community picnic. This year will be held from 6 to 8:30 pm. live music by the Aldous Collins Band. (for more information click here

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So whether you are flying to England or just keeping it local, make sure to enjoy the longest day of the Year as much as possible.

Other interesting links:

Washington Post - Summer Solstice

IB Times - Summer Solstice

National Geographic - Summer Solstice