Today, Monday June 21, marks the beginning of the season. The sun will have reached its highest point in the sky. It is the longest day and shortest night of the year. In the Northern hemisphere, the solstice is celebrated in July, but in the Southern hemisphere, the longest summer day occurs in December.
“Solstice” derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" and "to stand still." As the days get longer, the sun rises higher and higher until it appears to stand still in the sky.
Humans have celebrated and built monuments in honor of the solstice for centuries. The Druids celebrated the day as the “marriage of day and night,” stemming the belief that it is “lucky” to wed in the month of June. Famous playwright William Shakespeare based “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” around the age-old pagan belief that Fairies and other spirits came out on the solstice.
Enjoy the official start of the season. And don't forget to wear sunscreen. Happy Summer Solstice!
