NEW YORK – Summer begins this week in the Northern Hemisphere with the summer solstice. The summer solstice marks the longest day and shortest night of the year.
On Friday, the first moon of the summer rises. It is known as the Strawberry Moon because its date coincides with the strawberry harvest season.
Many cultures, ancient and modern, celebrate the sun’s rays through rituals and festivals.
What is the summer solstice?
The term solstice comes from the Latin words “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (stationary or stationary). It is used to describe the exact moment when the poles are tilted toward or away from the sun.
The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer, the circle that marks 23.5 degrees north latitude, which passes through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and southern China, according to the service. National Meteorology. For those who live above the Tropic of Cancer, it is the longest day of the year.
For those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year and marks the arrival of winter. The longest day of the year for people south of the equator occurs between December 20 and 22, when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. In contrast, the Northern Hemisphere will see the winter solstice on the shortest day of the year.
When is the summer solstice 2024?
The summer solstice usually falls between June 20 and 22 of each year. This year, the solstice occurs on June 20 at 4:51 PM ET.
What is the strawberry moon?
This year’s summer solstice comes with a surprise: the first full moon of the summer, called the Strawberry Moon. The moon will not be pink or red: its name comes from several indigenous tribes who noticed that its date coincided with the strawberry harvest season.
On Friday night, look to the southeast to catch a glimpse of the full moon rising on the horizon.
What are the traditions and rituals of the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is observed by Man since the Stone Age It was an important holiday for many ancient cultures.
In the past, midsummer traditions included scattering the ashes of a fire in the garden for a bountiful harvest, and wearing protective wreaths of herbs and flowers to ward off evil spirits, according to History.com.
“The importance of the summer solstice to ancient cultures has many aspects, including the calendar, crop cultivation and agriculture, moving camps or residence sites for nomads, and annual cultural celebrations,” said Aparna Venkatesan, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. At the University of San Francisco.
The ancient Romans celebrated the arrival of summer with a religious festival in honor of Vesta, the goddess of the home, according to the Romans. History.com. Women entered temples bearing the name of the goddess to leave offerings in the hope of receiving good blessings for their families.
In ancient Greece, the summer solstice sometimes marked the new year, and became a time to celebrate a festival in honor of Cronos, the god of agriculture. Even slaves were allowed to break social rules and participate in ceremonies.
The alignment of ancient archaeological structures such as the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre on the Egyptian Giza Plateau suggests that ancient Egypt also observed the summer solstice. This is because if you are standing directly in front of the Sphinx, the sun sets precisely between the two pyramids on the summer solstice.
Many Native American tribes performed solstice rituals. According to History.com, The Sioux participated in a “ceremonial sun dance around a tree dressed in symbolic colors.” Researchers believe that the wheel Wyoming Medical Bighorn, an arrangement of stones aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice, was the site of the tribe’s annual dance. The remaining tribes still participate in the coup rituals. According to History.com.
What does Stonehenge have to do with the summer solstice?
Stonehenge, a 5,000-year-old ring of standing stones in southwest England, is aligned with the direction of sunrise on the summer solstice. Inspite of that History.com He points out that there is little archaeological evidence indicating that the site was used for prehistoric rituals, and it received thousands of visitors. Every year, many of them in colorful costumes gather around the monument to watch the sunrise.
How do you celebrate the summer solstice?
People around the world celebrate the summer solstice with parties, bonfires, picnics, and traditional songs and dances.
In Sweden, the summer solstice is marked summer celebrations, Citizens enjoy the end of the long winter with a variety of pagan traditions, according to the Swedish Institute. People start their day by picking flowers and making wreaths to hang on maypoles, which are then used in traditional circle dances. According to local superstition, unmarried girls who place flowers under their pillow before going to bed will dream of their future husbands. Modern Swedes believe this is the magical time for love; Many weddings and baptisms are celebrated around the solstice.
Followers of modern Wicca, a nature-based pagan religion based on pre-Christian traditions, celebrate the sun god on the longest day of the year with fruitful picnics at flower-decorated altars. According to Lisa Chamberlain,Author of Wicca for Beginners: A Guide to Wiccan Beliefs, Rituals, Witchcraft, and Magic, the Wiccan celebration of Midsummer, or Litha, represents “the culmination of the sun’s power to fuel the growing season.”
Every year, thousands of yogis from around the world flock to Times Square in New York City to celebrate the summer solstice. With free yoga classes. The annual yoga festival, “The Solstice in Times Square: Yoga of Mind Over Madness,” was launched in 2003 and was designed to keep urbanites centered, focused and present, according to event organizers.
In England, contemporary priests are among the thousands who visit the country Stonehengee in Wiltshire to see the sunrise. The tradition of this prehistoric monument is said to go back thousands of years.
“Unapologetic tv specialist. Hardcore zombie trailblazer. Infuriatingly humble problem solver.”