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Since the beginning of man’s observations of outer space, there have been many attempts to apply patterns to the cosmic workings of planets and galaxies. One of these patterns is the rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Earth, and the other planets in the Milky Way, around the sun. The combination of these two things is what causes the phenomenon known as the summer solstice, when the Earth’s axis is pointed as much as it can toward the sun, causing the longest day of the year. It also marks the first day of summer, and over time, has become part of many religions as an event that marks either celebration, transition, transformation, or something else depending on the religion and culture themselves.

In 2008 in the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice occurs and summer begins at 23:59 UTC (one minute before midnight) on June 20th, which is 7:59 p.m. EDT. The first day of summer is considered the following day, June 21st.

It is common knowledge that the Earth and the other planets in our solar system constantly revolve around the sun. During this time, the planets are also revolving about the imaginary axis that runs through the center of the spherical planet. Every planet is also at a tilt, not orbiting at a perfect vertical slant, which is what creates the seasonal variations between the northern and southern hemispheres. When the Earth has revolved to the position when the northern hemisphere is closest to the sun, it is summertime, and because of it, the southern hemisphere must be further away, thus causing wintertime. This same tilt of the planet is what causes solstices. Because of the tilt, there has to be a point in the sun’s orbit where the sun is at extremes relative to the position of the Earth. Therefore, there comes a point in time where the sun, relative to the Earth, is at its northernmost point, furthest from the equator of the Earth. This point is called the Tropic of Cancer, the arc of latitude at 23.44° north. If you were to go somewhere that falls on the Tropic of Cancer during the summer solstice, the sun would appear to be directly overhead, which is certainly a stunning sight.

Several other things happen because of the summer solstice, both directly and indirectly. The position of the sun at its northernmost orientation from the equator makes the day on which the solstice falls have the longest day, and shortest night, of the year. This marks the beginning of summer. For a couple of days before and after the solstice, the sun seems to stand still, not moving in noontime elevation. That makes sense, because the term “solstice” comes from the Latin words for “sun” and “to stand still”. In the southern hemisphere, the same day that is the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere is actually the winter solstice because if the sun is at its furthest northern location, then it is also the first day of winter.

Throughout time, the summer solstice has had great cultural significance for many groups of people. The uniqueness of the event, as it happens only once per year, has traditionally been cause to celebrate. It also heralds change and transformation, the passage of one season to the next, and many cultures have associated the passage of seasons to come to mean many important things, religiously and symbolically. Some cultures regarded the stand-still of the sun to be magical in nature, which would have contributed to some of their rituals or, perhaps, would have legitimized some of their beliefs about sun deities or natural spirits.

In pre-historic times, the midsummer solstice would have been a time of joy and celebration. It would have meant that the cold would be retreating and the snow would be melting, allowing for more comfortable temperatures. Trees would be regaining their leaves, flowers would be blooming, food would be been easier to find and there would be plenty of reason to be hopeful for the rest of summer. Not the least of which would be the fact that the crops had already been planted and the people only had to wait until harvest season in order to indulge once again in the fruits of their labor. This enthusiasm persisted throughout time, culminating in summer festivals and the like, some of which are still celebrated today in various incarnations.

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Many cultures regarded June as the most favorable time for couples to get married. This was because the union of the Goddess and God was supposed to have occurred in May during Beltane, and it would have been presumptuous and rude to schedule a marriage that would compete, so marriages were delayed until the following month of June. To this day, June is still a desirable month for marriage, because summer allows for more agreeable weather and tends to be more compatible as far as allowing the maximum amount of visitors to be able to travel to the wedding. Still, one wonders if the past religious association factors in subconsciously through generations of avoiding the month of May purposefully.

Many cultures had their own specific way of acknowledging the summer solstice. Ancient Celts would celebrate the “apex of Light”, referring to the sun reaching its highest peak in the sky. Led by the Druids, religious leaders of the Pagan Celts, people would celebrate the passage from spring to summer, associating it with the crowning of the appropriate summer deity. In Ancient China, the summer solstice brought about a time to celebrate the Earth. Everything about the Earth, from its feminine association as Mother Earth to the yin forces, complemented by the yang forces of the wintertime, were reverently celebrated and paid due respect. Called the “Feast of Epona”, festivities in Ancient Gaul, which was comprised of modern-day Italy, France, and several other European countries, were based on the qualities of the horse deity for which the feast was named. Fertility, sovereignty, and agriculture were all celebrated as part of this grand feast. Ancient Rome celebrated with the festival of Vestalia, which lasted from June 7 to June 15. During this time, married women were allowed to enter the shrine of Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, whereas the rest of the year, only virgins would be permitted to enter.

Today, there are still certain festivities and events that occur near the summer solstice. Catholic and Nordic Protestant cultures congregate for the feast of St. John, which is from June 23 to June 24. Across the world, there are instances of summer celebrations, which is another way of referring to the summer solstice. These celebrations may or may not match up directly to the incidence of the summer solstice and its cultural significance, but they do occur near it in timing. The culture of Wicca observes Litha, which is a term for midsummer.

The summer solstice is an interesting event, not only because of its regularity, but because of the effects that it has both visually and on cultures. Many people have marveled at the apparent stand-still of the sun and its high peak in the sky, and back before a tidy scientific explanation existed, cultures would have associated their own explanation with the event. Regardless, it is the beginning of summer, and, for schoolchildren, pre-historic peoples, and certain cultures alike, it is a time for celebration.