Happy Summer Solstice! Today is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours. From now until December 21st, the days will get progressively shorter. I know – I’m a buzzkill. So let’s think about happier things shall we?
All around the world, from ancient times right up to today, the summer solstice has been celebrated by almost every culture. In ancient Greece, the solstice was used to mark the opening of the Olympic games. And the ancient Romans celebrated Vestailia in the days just prior to the solstice to honor the godess Vesta. During this celebration, married women would go to temple and leave offerings to the godess while asking for blessings for their families.
Here in the U.S., native American tribes also had festivities to honor the solstice featuring ceremonial sun dances. And like the pagans who may have built Stonehenge to mark the solstice, the Plains Indians built Wyoming’s Bighorn Medicine Wheel that aligns with the day’s sunrise and sunset.
Want to know more about the solstice? Check out these resources:
So enjoy the daylight and raise a glass in celebration of the solstice!
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