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Summertime Solstice 2011
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MAIN Holidays & Observances Summer season Solstice 2011
in the Northern Hemisphere, summer time solstice begins on Jun 21 2011 at 1:16 P.M. EDT
in the United kingdom June 21, 2011 at 17:16 UTC
Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.
As a major celestial event,
Tiffany Earings, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer time day in December.
Early Celebrations
Awed by the great power of the sun, civilizations have for centuries celebrated the first day of summertime otherwise known as the Summertime Solstice, Midsummer (see Shakespeare), St. John's Day,
Tiffany Earings, or the Wiccan Litha.
The Celts & Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light.
Perhaps the most enduring modern ties with Summertime Solstice were the Druids' celebration of the day as the "wedding of Heaven and Earth", resulting in the present day belief of a "lucky" wedding in June.
Today,
Tiffany, the day is still celebrated around the globe - most notably in England at Stonehenge and Avebury, where thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the Summer season Solstice.
Pagan spirit gatherings or festivals are also common in June,
Tiffany Melbourne, when groups assemble to light a sacred fire, and stay up all night to welcome the dawn.
Summertime Solstice Fun Facts
Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summertime Solstice.
Ancient Pagans celebrated Midsummer with bonfires,
Tiffany Bracelet, when couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump.
Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.
More about summer solstice around the Web:
On the Web,
Tiffany Earings, discover more about the topic, where & how Summer season Solstice is celebrated around the entire world along with related history,
Tiffany & Co, folklore and rituals that mark the much-awaited long, bright days of summertime ....
Summer Solstice - Good overview of its history, customs & holidays,
Silver Tiffany Necklace, illustrations, date & time charts and related links, from Wikipedia.
Summer Solstice Celebrations - Ancient & Modern - Skip past the intrusive ads for a detailed discussion about how the day has been celebrated over the centuries, and in many cultures, with suggested reading and related links.
BBC Religion - Summertime Solstice - A brief overview of Pagan rituals and ceremonies with related links to more facts & information.
Weird Wilstshire - Summer season Solstice - Archived pictures with a report on one particularly successful United kingdom sunrise celebration, including related links & online forum.
The Pagan Festival of Litha - The origins of Druidic Summer season Solstice celebrations and their meaning in the natural cycle of seasons.
also see in Summer time -> 2011 Summer season Concerts
Milwaukee Summerfest | Glastonbury Festival