In modern days, we celebrate the start of summer the second the last school bell of the year rings. Summer signals a sense of freedom, adventure, and hope for days spent outside of the classroom and away from adults with endless worksheets. Kids celebrate the coming summer with huge plans for the next 90-or-so days, many of them even seem magical and impossible. Building forts outside, playing in the water, spending time creating and growing in their own ways, and celebrating, then letting go of, the accomplishments of the year.
But, school ending isn’t the official start of the summer season.
The summer solstice is.
And while our school calendar and our seasonal calendar don’t line up exactly right, the kids have the right idea. The start of summer is a time for hope, celebration, freedom, and connecting to nature.
What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year. It marks the 24-hour period in which the sun is furthest north relative to the earth, and, therefore gives us the most sunlight in the day. The sun seems to stand still in the sky, stopping its northward movement and then, after the solstice, it begins to move southward again. The solstice only exists because of the tilt of the earth, making it a uniquely human experience.
For thousands of years, humans have tracked the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, charting the patterns and using them to navigate, grow food, and record time. In a world where agricultural skills and meant life or death, knowing how to predict seasons, weather, and the movements of the sun was a life-saving way of life. The sun itself was often seen as a god, giving light and warmth that brought life, or withdrawing it and bringing death.
In ancient cultures the summer solstice was a time to celebrate surviving the harsh winter, a time of scarce food, coldness, and dark. It often included bonfires, dancing, feasts, and a cleansing ritual to rid homes and land of any lingering winter spirits. It was a time to bless future crops, celebrate the returned fertility of the earth, and honor the life-sustaining sun that had returned to the sky in all its glory. It was a magical changing of the guard, from the winter deities to those of the summer. This meant that summer was extra powerful around the solstice, giving deities the ability to grant wishes and desires to humans. Desires like a successful crop, healthy animals, and freedom from sickness.
When is the summer solstice?
The solstice occurs in June, usually the 20th or 21st, and occurs only when the sun is at the northernmost point of its movement in the Northern Hemisphere and the earth is at its maximum tilt towards the sun. At the earth’s poles, there is continuous sun throughout the 24-hour period, while the rest of the earth experiences the longest daylight hours, and shortest night of the year.
This year, the solstice is on June 21st.
Why celebrate the summer solstice now?
And though many things have changed over human history, our reliance on earth and sun have not. Any farmer will tell you that the seasons, weather, soil, and sun make all the difference. Most of them will tell you that they pray in some way, asking for blessings upon their crops, animals, family, and workers.
Though many of us live in the city and buy out-of-season fruits and vegetables all year, farmers know that summer is a time of plenty.
Plenty of work. Plenty of baby animals. Plenty of crops to plant, tend to, and harvest.
Summer is the time when stores are built up for the year, plans are carried out, and the long, cold wait of winter melts into the action that will sustain life for the coming seasons.
The magic of summer solstice and our reliance upon the earth, sun, and seasons has not ended. Movements of celestial bodies hasn’t changed, nor has their impact on humans.
Many just….forgot about it.
Getting back in touch with the ancient way of seeing nature and the rhythm that it brings is a simple matter of looking for it. In today’s world of gray walls, sidewalks, swimming pools, and fake grass, it’s hard to see the beauty that summer brings. You have to go out and find it. Search for the little pockets of the natural world that are still left. Even if that means simply admiring the flowers on your front porch.
How do you celebrate the solstice?
The summer solstice, like any holiday, can be as complicated or simple as you want. It can mean anything from huge feasts with elaborate dishes and tons of friends, to something as simple as caring for your garden. Anything you do to honor the blessings of summer, move on from the harshness of winter, or acknowledge the joy and magic of changing seasons is celebrating the summer solstice.
At our house, summer solstice is a simple, calm celebration rather than a huge party. A time to reflect, set new goals, and enjoy nature while we aren’t in school and have a little extra time together without making it stressful. A time to plan our garden, raise baby animals, and prepare food for the coming winter.
So, here are 10 simple ideas to celebrate the summer solstice:
1. Watch the sunrise and make new goals
Get up early and spend some time together drinking hot cocoa and waiting for the sun to rise. Make it comfy by wearing PJ’s, gathering pillows and blankets outside, and simply enjoying the sounds, sights, and feelings.
While you enjoy the view, write down any current goals you have, even if it’s as simple as making a summer bucket list. Setting goals and asking for blessings and strength to help you achieve them, is far more powerful than simply making a list in your head. There is a magic in writing that helps our brains focus and remember, making success more likely.
2. Spend Time in Nature
Finding nature and quietly reflecting or just being still works miracles. Looking for beauty can help your nervous system calm and allow you to find joy in the simple, everyday things all around you.
Work on your garden, lay out in the sunshine on a blanket, go to the park, clean up the yard, go on a hike, pack a picnic, stop and smell the flowers, walk around the neighborhood and see if you can spot any flowers or trees that are particularly interesting, observe some of the bugs outside, visit a farm and spend some time with the animals, or go to a farmer’s market.
However you do it, use the summer solstice to spend some time outside and simply enjoy it.
3. Have a Bonfire
Bonfires were originally meant to be cleansing rituals, where families and communities gathered to celebrate and start anew. The light and warmth given by the fire was a smaller version of the sun, and was thought to be a way to burn off bad spirits leftover by winter. Victorians traditionally jumped over the fire on the solstice to bring good luck and cleanse themselves of any bad from previous seasons.
So, if it’s safe, light a bonfire, build a smaller campfire, or light up the fire pit.
Gather together with friends and family in the darkness of night, near the safe fire. Roast marshmallows, eat smores, tell stories, or dance around the campfire. There is something about the darkness and the light of the fire that helps people talk about real things, rather than the shallow everyday talk that TV and Facebook bring.
4. Get Rid of Lingering Spirits
In addition to simply having or jumping over the bonfire, you can use it to cleanse your year and start anew. Write down things you want to let go of on a slip of paper and drop it in the fire. Allow the fire to burn away bad memories, things you are holding on to, or habits you want to end. Although this may sound like silly witchcraft, studies show that the act of physically discarding an item that represents something you are emotionally holding onto actually provides more healing than hours of therapy. (Source)
In addition to cleansing with fire, the solstice can be a time to physically clear out the winter, too. Take time to clean your house (or a certain area that has been bothering you), pack up your winter clothes and get out the summer outfits, redecorate, move your furniture around, paint a wall, or get new decorations. The simple act of changing from old to new can reenergize your mind and help you feel more confident in accomplishing the goals in front of you.
The solstice is a magical time where we feel naturally compelled to get rid of the old (pull the weeds, trim the dead branches) to make way for something new to grow. Take a lesson from nature and find a way, even if it’s small, to do this in your life.
5. Do a Summer or a Nature Craft
Take inspiration from nature and make something beautiful. You can even use nature to do it!
Make a flower crown (this is a great video for learning how), paint a landscape, draw a flower, make a birdfeeder, use natural elements to create an art piece, press flowers, make natural dyes or paints, create a stick collage, make sand art, create a rock mural, or simply pick a bouquet of flowers for your home.
6. Feast…But Keep it Simple
Feasting is a traditional part of any celebration, but it doesn’t have to be a huge, complicated dinner.
Have a summer food feast that includes summer fruits, salads, cold soups, or other light meals that your family loves. A fruit tray with dipping sauces (e.g. chocolate, caramel, and strawberry filling) is an easy, healthy way to celebrate simply.
Alternatively, make one of your favorite summer recipes, or try a new one. Grill outside. Cook over a fire. Make lemonade in different flavors (lavender is my current favorite), eat popsicles, host an ice cream party, or have a potluck dinner with friends.
Focus on spending time together rather than trying to impress with your cooking. A lot of the stress goes away when you realize people come for the company, not the food.
7. Reflect on How Far You’ve Already Come
Reflect on the last week, month, or year and celebrate what you have accomplished and how far you’ve come. Summer is often a time when kids throw away their old schoolwork, celebrate moving on to a next grade, recover from dance recitals, tournaments, and testing, or party after graduation.
Take a note from their book and look back on what you have accomplished. Maybe you got a promotion at work, helped your child work through a life lesson, went on more dates with your husband, or cleaned up a part of your home. Maybe you finally wrote that book, organized your time, found a way to eat healthier, or stopped that bad habit. No matter what your achievement, look back and see how far you’ve come. Looking at old pictures is a great way to remind yourself just what you’ve accomplished.
Take time to quietly reflect, treat yourself to a favorite indulgence, or throw a huge party and celebrate how far you’ve already come!
8. Host an Outdoor Games Night
Play games outside with family, friends, or neighbors.
Choose a favorite sport, go swimming, grab a backgammon set at Walmart, or set up a mini-Olympics in your backyard. You can even get little trophies or metals as prizes if you want. Play tag, catch, or hopscotch with the kids. Just grab some special drinks or treats and go play outside.
Alternatively, take lessons or join a local team to learn a new sport, or renew your skills in one you haven’t played in awhile.
9. Participate in a Community Clean Up
Join a group or make your own and clean up a part of your community. Many cities have a volunteer committee just for this and are looking for help during this time.
If not, go out on your own or with family and friends and pick up litter, offer to help a neighbor with landscaping, trim your own trees, or volunteer to mow someone’s lawn. Learn more about local conservation efforts, plant a porch garden, or sponsor a neighborhood clean up.
10. Make Music…or Dance to It
Spend some time playing music, by yourself or with others. Play an instrument or turn on the radio. Drive around with your music turned up way too loud. Sing silly songs at the top of your lungs. Host a neighborhood jam session or a PJ dance party. Start a band. Listen to music from around the world. Sing around your bonfire. Attend a concert or local play.
The summer solstice is a time of joy and celebration, gratitude and new beginnings, community and friendship. For hundreds of years, it’s been a magical time that allows humans to come together after the dark, cold winter, and look forward to the freedom, warmth, and life-sustaining summer season.
Happy summer solstice!