The Summer Solstice

Midsummer Eve
Hughes, Edward Robert
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Midsummer

The word solstice derives from the Latin sol sistere - "sun stand still". It refers to the days of the year when the apparent position of the Sun at noon when the Sun is at its furthest from the equator.

The summer and winter solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year. The summer solstice is the longest day - midsummer's day. In the northern hemisphere the summer solstice occurs during June.

Alhough the solstice is traditionally known as "midsummer", our modern society often uses it as the first "offical" day of summer. There is a certain irony o this - after the solstice, the days begin to get get shorter. In a sense, the solstice is the beginning of the end of summer.

Traditions

The summer solstice has been celebrated by many cultures and peoples. It is often the time of the first harvest and hence of special joy. Since the day last so long, celebrations can continue until late.

The Sun is, of course, associated with life, as are growing crops. Such symbolism is often found in midsummer rites. The midsummer Sun is also said to be a boon to herbs and herbalists have told that plants picked on this day have a special strength.

The pagan fires of Beltane are more usually associated with the earlier May Day, however similar celebrations are also associated with midsummer. Fires are common in some traditions. The symbolism appears to be either to honour the summer Sun or to symbolically encourage and strengthen it.

Many sacred sites were designed with the summer solstice in mind. Stonehenge on Wiltshire has an entranceway aligned with the solstice sunrise and is a popular gathering point for modern druids and others on midsummer's day.

Fairies and other spirits are often thought to be abroad on the solstice, especially in the eve. The most well-known example of this is Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which has Oberon and Titania as fairy king and queen.

A more recent literary reference to the solstice is in J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings: Aragorn weds Arwen in Minas Tirith on midsummer's day.

For Wiccans, midsummer is one of the four "Lesser Sabbats" or "Low Holidays". It is known today as Litha although this name appears to have been adopted relatively recently. This is the day of the Lord of Light, the Oak King who sits on a greenwood throne.

For Christians, the summer solstice is close to the feast day of St John the Baptist. Some ancient representations of St John show him as a rather Pan-like figure which would be appropriate if the Christian feast were based on the older pagan one.

Fremont

A number of towns and cities celebrate the summer solstice. One of the most well known of such celebrations in the US takes place in Fremont, Seattle. The Fremont Solstice Parade and Pageant began in 1989 and takes place in the summer. According to Fremont Arts Council, "We welcome wild, weird, engaging, surprising, delightful, beautiful, collaborative, innovative art of all stripes." This year (2007) the parade is due to take place on Saturday June 16.