9 Ways To Celebrate The Summer Solstice
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and welcomes the official start of summer. This blog post shares 9 ways to enjoy the connection with nature and oneself to celebrate the solstice.
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What is the summer solstice?
The summer solstice is observed between June 20-22nd and marks the beginning of the astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Earth orbits at an angle. During half of the year, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the sun and during the other half of the year, it’s tilted away from the sun.
There are two solstices during the year that mark the points when the Earth’s tilt is most pronounced. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest day.
You may have also heard this time called ‘midsummer’ because it’s the midpoint of the season when the sun slowly starts setting early each day.
How does the sun affect us?
With early morning sunlight and longer evenings, we naturally get into a different rhythm than the colder months. The landscapes have turned lush and birdsong and the buzz of bees brings the awareness that everything is alive and blooming.
The sunlight looks different as well thanks to the Earth’s tilt during this season. The light is strong, casting more contrast and the sunlight may feel stronger. The blooming and bright days gives us a sense that there are lot’s of tasks to do.
While it feels like a time to get to work and stay busy, having a balance of rest is just as important!
Folklore, magick, and the sun
The summer solstice has folklore and magick intertwined throughout it’s history. Going back to ancient times, ancestors worshipped the sun during this otherworldly time when the sun seems to hang in the sky long into the evening.
Look further into the Celtic tradition of calling upon the sun goddess Áine, or read A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, or visit Stonehenge during the summer solstice event (an event continuing into modern day). There are many, many different ways the sun plays a role in our traditions and cultures and for good reason. The sun is powerful and plays a role in supporting life on Earth.
Whether you’re a believer of the magick during this time, just learning about ancient and modern traditions of celebrating the solstice provides a rich history of our ancestors and a connection to nature.
9 ways to celebrate the summer solstice
Adding some magic into the everyday is one way to enjoy the solstice.
1. Make sun tea
Sun tea is a lovely tea brewing tradition in many households, including mine. Add filtered water into a glass pitcher with your favorite tea bags (I use black tea), cover, and let it steep using the warmth of the sun. After a few hours you’ve got yourself tea.
Maybe it’s a nostalgic thing, or how the tea looks so pretty brewing in the sunlight, but sun tea was always something we got excited for in the summer. It feels like drinking the magick of the sun.
2. watch the sunrise
It can be hard to get up, especially because the sunrise during Midsummer is early! If you can get up though, watching a sunrise is a beautiful way to start the morning. There’s nothing like that early morning sunlight that slowly stirs the living creatures.
You may not be gathering at Stonehenge (or maybe you are), but seeing the sun rise up over the horizon through your window, a beach, or park is just as enjoyable.
3. make a Strawberry treat
June is prime strawberry season! Little red berries have turned into sweet juicy berries ready for picking, thanks to Mother Nature. Celebrate by going to a strawberry U-pick and enjoy the visceral experience of picking your own fruit from the stem.
If you can’t strawberry pick, try making a strawberry treat! Make my perfect chocolate covered strawberries, or bake my tender and moist vanilla cake recipe and add sliced strawberries in-between the layers.
4. take a summer solstice walk
If you can, go out on a walk and soak up some sun. Early morning walks are great because there’s lots of sights to see and things to hear. Birdsong, morning dew, and the freshness of a new day. If the weather is especially lovely, the pull from the outdoors can be strong (if you love being outside, I know you know).
If you can’t get in an early walk, anytime of the day is okay! Try to stay off your phone and take out your earbuds to listen to the things happening around you. There’s a forest that we walk each season, and I stop to take a quick photo to see how each season makes my favorite spot look completely different. I feel so fortunate to live in the Midwest where we have four seasons!
5. light a candle
You may not be dancing around a bonfire (although if you can, it sounds fun), but an easy way to bring the light into your home is lighting a candle. Lighting a candle is symbolic and brings warmth and good magick into your home. Don’t forget to blow it out before bed!
6. tend to your garden
Many herbs have been growing strong by Midsummer, and nows a great time to collect some. Check on your flowers, vegetables, or your garden space and take a moment to be fully present. We create beautiful spaces for our lives and it’s important to take time to fully enjoy them.
7. Set a summer intention
Given all of the energy of the summer season, it’s a great time to set a summer intention. Maybe it’s growth related, or maybe the change of the season is a bit nerve-racking. Either way, an intention can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
This summer solstice, my intention is to lean into the changes however big and overwhelming they may seem at first. Just like summer blooms, growth is unavoidable in order to achieve your best.
8. wear the sun motif or decorate with it
The sun motif is found in all styles. On shirts, jewelry, bags, charms, and comes in many art styles. The sun is a symbol of power and energy, and wearing the motif can bring you a sense of connection to our star.
My favorite way to wear the sun symbol is on this build-your-own charm necklace. I chose the charms that I wanted and by wearing it, it’s a fun way to express the things that bring me happiness.
9. have a picnic or garden party
Eating outside can be a lovely time. Pick your favorite spot and pack a picnic or plan a BBQ or dinner. Eating outside lets you unwind and enjoy the long summer day that we dream about in the winter.
To really get into the spirit, try using fresh herbs, berries, honey, and any of the early summer harvest in your meals. Eating seasonal foods brings you into a rhythm with the season. Eating strawberries in June brings a little more enjoyment than eating them in December because of their natural growing cycle (depending on where you live of course).
I hope you enjoy the summer solstice no matter how you celebrate, big or small or just by soaking in the sunlight for a moment. Create your own summer solstice rituals and enjoy the season and the moment.
