We know the summer solstice as the longest day of the year, the day with the largest number of daylight hours and the beginning of our summer season. It falls either on June 20 or June 21.
In astronomical terms, it is the day when the sun reaches the highest distance from the earth in the northern hemisphere that it will reach all year, when the northern hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight that it will receive all year. This height remains nearly the same for several days, hence the latin word: "sol" (sun) and "stice" (stop).
In ancient times, the summer solstice was a day of celebration and marked time to start planting crops. Ancient peoples developed methods for tracking seasons, and pagans today continue to celebrate the summer solstice with religious rites.
Web Sites
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for summer solstice.
Databases
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