Celebrating the Solar-Powered Self

Celebrating the Summer Solstice has been a tradition as early as the Stone Age, around 2.5 million years ago. Around the world early civilizations honored the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere and even built monuments to the sun’s movement (I’m looking at your Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids).

Different cultures have celebrated this special day with feasts, bonfires, and other rituals. It seems everyone knew it was an important time of the year worthy of taking notice. In Egypt, it marked the beginning of flood season from the Nile. While in South America observed with paper boats on the river being filled with flowers and then set on fire. It was even considered the start of the New Year by the Greeks and an important time for conducting legal matters for the Vikings.

Solstice comes from Latin meaning “when the sun seems to stand still.” With so many hours of sunlight it can feel a bit like being suspended in time or a pause at the peak time of the year before we begin our descent into winter. The summer solstice is one of four solar holidays determined by the placement of Earth’s orbit to the Sun, the others being autumnal equinox, winter solstice, and spring equinox.

Astronomically, the Summer Solstice occurs for the Northern Hemisphere when the Earth’s orbit tilts the North Pole 23.4 degrees towards the Sun. Astrologically this also marks the Sun’s move into the tropical zodiac sign of Cancer.