Summer Solstice 101

What is the Summer Solstice?

In the Northern Hemisphere the summer begins on June 20, 2025, with the solstice at 9:43 pm CST. This marks when the sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky making it the longest day of the year. 

Summer solstices are celebrated around the world with feasts, bonfires, picnics, and songs. 

The Summer Solstice has been a focal point for celebration and reverance in cultures around the world since the Stone Age. It marks a time of joy, abundance, and a deep connection to the natural world as the Earth soaks in the longest hours of daylight.

History of Summer Solstice

We know that the solstices certainly held importance for Neolithic humans, who may have initially started to observe the Summer Solstice as a marker for planting and harvesting crops. 

Stonehenge, our most famous Neolithic monument, was built to reflect the solstices and it has long been debated whether one of its functions was to act as a solar calendar. 

Interest in solstices continued beyond the Neolithic era. Ancient Greek calendars sometimes considered the Summer Solstice as the start of the New Year. In the days leading up to the Summer Solstice, the Romans held the Vestalia festival to honor Vesta, goddess of home and hearth. Slavic, Germanic, and Celtic tribes celebrated the solstice with bonfires, believing they enhanced the sun's energy, guaranteed a good harvest, and banished evil spirits. 

Summer Solstice Celebrations Now

Today, the celebration of the solstices is commonly associated with Paganism. The Pagan festival of Litha, or Midsummer, begins on the eve of the Summer Solstice. Magic peaks during the Summer Solstice, when the veil between worlds is thinnest. Pagan folklore suggests that evil spirits roam more freely at this time, so people wear garlands of herbs and flowers for protection. 

However you choose to celebrate the Summer Solstice may it be filled with light, life, and growth. 

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