Summer Solstice

[Doc]

Intrinsic to bushcraft is an awareness of seasons and natural rhythms. June 21st is the Summer Sostice (or, if you're Australian, the Winter Solstice.)

Most people know it as the longest day, or the first day of summer, but the word actually means 'stand still of the sun'. If you go out at noon and measure the angle between the horizon and the sun, you will find that, day to day, it has gradually been getting higher in the sky. However, the rate of change has been gradually slowing and next week it will be barely getting higher at all. On the 21st it reaches it's highest point.

Similarly sunrise has been getting earlier but just now, only very slowly.

Suppose you were standing at the North Pole on the 21st. The sun would never set. It would just go around the sky in a circle parallel to the horizon.

Further south, on the Arctic Circle, the solstice is the only day on which the sun never sets. It grazes the horizon, but does not disappear behind it.

Lots of people get up early for the sunrise- can be a bit of a non-event in cloudy weather though:

http://www.solsticesunrise.co.uk/

[Stuart]

thanks Doc

I was above the arctic circle in Finland for the longest day last year.

[Tor helge]

In Norway the day is celebrated with bonfires, the bigger the better, and barbecuing.
And also a great deal of alcohol . At least in my younger days.

Tor

[Viking]

The 24th this year we celebrate midsummers eve here in Sweden, wich has traditions back to the vikings. This is day with lots of old traditions to celebrate the brightest day of the year but also have lots of other traditions. The girls will pick 7 diffrent flowers to put under their pillow and will then dream about the man they will marry, people will dance around the midsummer pole, wich is an old celebratiopn to mother earth. People will eat herring and fresh potatoes and drink cold beers and good spiced snaps and as dessert you will eat the summers first strawberries. This is probably the best holiday during the whole year.

How do you celebrate midsummer/summer solstice?

[Marts]

Anyone thinking of attending for the solstice English Heritage's conditions of entry for this year can be found here

[JFW]

Viking,

it's good to hear that you still celebrate these events, it seems that most of these ancient traditions are dying out in my part of Britain with only a few people even realising that it is a solstice/ equinox. I know that we don't have to dwell on the past but marking the passage of time in a natural way is, in my opinion, important.

Time is now marked by decaying radioactivity but the last time my watch stopped I didn't have a spare lump of cesium with me:-)

I think everyone should be aware of the natural rhythm and cycle of this planet we all live in and to me this is the fundamental basis of bushcraft, being aware and in tune with our natural environment.

Cheers

JFW

[HuBBa]

He forgot to mention the insane ammount of "hutt" (Alcohol , the pissing weather and the passing out in the ditch and/or puking in the neighbours yard

[Womble]

I'm off camping with a lot of nutters who fight with rubber swords on the weekend before the Solstice, and I think that a celebration involving cold beer, BBQ'd herrings, potatoes and snapps sounds like a plan...

[Viking]

He forgot to mention the insane ammount of "hutt" (Alcohol , the pissing weather and the passing out in the ditch and/or puking in the neighbours yard

That is why everyone escapes the cities and go out on the countryside

I have never noticed any rain and ditches are very comfortable to sleep in and visiting neighbours to see their lovely garden is also pretty nice

[maverick]

I often make it to the henge and it is a wonderfull experience (exept for the bloody planes flying round) I am always amazed by the different types of people that attend ranging from 80 year old couples to full on satanic worshipers, I met king arthur and his nights in full armour waiting in the queue 2 years ago
if you are free on the 21st make an effort and attend, It really is a one of a kind experience.

[Kirruth]

Well, I will be in Japan at the Summer Solstice.

They celebrate the Winter Solstice and the two Equinoxes, but strangely there was no traditional summer solstice festival (probably because the summer solstice falls smack in the middle of the rainy season in most parts of the country, which is no fun for a party).

Not to be downhearted, they made one up. So Summer Solstice (or the days leading it up to it, depending on where the weekend falls) is now the Candle Night, when people turn off electric lights and use candles instead. The idea is to promote sustainability and care for the environment, and to take time to do simple things, like watching the stars with friends.

You are invited to join in . A very bushcrafty way to celebrate the turn of the year.

[stuart f]

Our local festival is this weekend.Its not so much about the solstice but it does have pagan connotations,i,e people wear oak leaves on their jacket lapels and the leading lad stands on top of a hill and sings a song called "Teribus" to greet the sun as its rises.

If anyones intrested to read more then have a look here.
http://www.hawickcommonriding.com/ and click on OUTLINE to get a rough idea of what its all about. " Teri-bus teri-odin yin and a"

[Moonraker]

From what I have read I want to be in a Swedish ditch puking up schnapps and crayfish

[Viking]

From what I have read I want to be in a Swedish ditch puking up schnapps and crayfish

Snaps and crayfish (and the heavey drinking) is in august when it´s time for "kräftskiva". Then we will also put on funny hats and sing stupid drinking songs.

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I was in a university literature class devoted to of all things, children's lit. Somebody asked about the famous rymn about Jack and Jill. The teacher didn't have a clue. I explained it was an old reference to the sun and the moon marking their eternal journey in the heavans. I got a dumb look back " what journey?" I replied " solstices, equinoxes, eclipses- stuff like that!" Again an even dimmer stare. " Whats an equine-oxe, some mythical greek beast?" I usually play a favourite recording of Mendellsohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream and open my bottle of single malt scotch for the year at sunrise, hike to an exceptionally lovely Oaktree and give respects to the 'good nieghbors and the Green Man' asw taught by my great grandmother.

[HuBBa]

Then we will also put on funny hats and sing stupid drinking songs.

We ALLWAYS do that Any holiday is excuse to don the hat's and sing "schnapssongs".

I have the "unfortune" to live pretty close to the only good beach in Borås, which of course during these times is swamped with 80% of the drunk teenager population here. So if i'm to stroll around in the nice woods during Summer Solstice, i better be armed :P

[Roving Rich]

Well I usaully end up at Avebury stone circle, just up the road from Stonehenge and about 10 times bigger. I've given up on Stonehenge for Solstice, its grim, no shelter, nowhere to camp, hundreds of police, generators and floodlights add to that a few thousand anarchists looking for a fight and I prefer the calm of Avebury.
I usaully manage a pilgrimage down the ridgeway (the oldest road in Britain), usually by bicycle but some times on foot or by horse and camp in my hammock in the hedgerow of an old drove just outside the village with the new age gypsies and their horses. Hopefully i'll run into your brother Moonraker.

Solstice sunrise 2004 Avebury


Cheers
Rich

[EdS]

RR

we usually end up a t Avebury as well. Unfortunately I cann't make it this year - shame really.

[Ravenn]

We'll spend the night around a bon fire, sipping spirits and singing until the sun come sup. That will be after the incense and naked bon fire jumping...

[FeralSheryl]

I was invited to join some friends at Stonehenge last year and although they seemed to have a great time, from the pictures it looked way too crowded and chaotic for me. I was glad I'd given it a miss actually.

Anywhere quiet is good. It's just great to see the sun rise and have a chance to take it in. Reasons... quite a few - natural, aesthetic, artistic, Astronomical and ancient roots too.

Later on - gimmie a drink!

[bushwacker bob]

Not to try and sink too many boats,BUT, latest archeological theory about Stonehenge indicates that the most important celebrations occured at sunset on the winter solstice. Its still a cool place to watch the sunrise tho'

[maddave]

Jules and I usually go to Castlerigg Stone Circle for the solstice....

Lovely atmosphere

[jamesdevine]

The May bank holiday was always the big for us as kids it was the start of summer for us but this year I hope to head up the coast a bit, light a small fire and welcome in the summer as peacfully as possible.

Might invite a few folk along as well.

James

[FeralSheryl]

It would be nice to see some pictures if anyone takes any this year.

[Fenlander]

The 24th this year we celebrate midsummers eve here in Sweden, wich has traditions back to the vikings. This is day with lots of old traditions to celebrate the brightest day of the year but also have lots of other traditions. The girls will pick 7 diffrent flowers to put under their pillow and will then dream about the man they will marry, people will dance around the midsummer pole, wich is an old celebratiopn to mother earth. People will eat herring and fresh potatoes and drink cold beers and good spiced snaps and as dessert you will eat the summers first strawberries. This is probably the best holiday during the whole year.

How do you celebrate midsummer/summer solstice?

I'm heading up to Swedish Lapland (150km inside the Arctic circle) on Thursday for 5 days to enjoy the celebrations with Abbe.

Does anyone else have any plans this year?

[Jodie]

It's probably my least favourite time of year (don't like hot weather, not terribly keen on
long days either) but I'm quite excited at the prospect of being in Kirkwall, Orkney the
following week as I've never been anywhere where the sun doesn't set and apparently
they are having their St. Magnus festival which sounds fun and a little bizarre (midnight
golf happens as well!).

Some Londoners are taking part in "Lights out London" on Thur 21st by switching out
lights from 9pm until 10pm but plenty of Londoners are going to be sneery and dismissive
of this - http://timworstall.typepad.com/timwo..._out_lond.html - I am somewhere in between.

I'm a little out of kilter on this one as I always feel slightly melancholic when the days
are longer and am not quite sure why. For some reason I get very enthused by the
nights drawing in and it getting dark at around half four - it's like I have SAD in reverse

There just seems to be something wonderful about grey skies, the prospect of rain, the
leaves turning and all the wintry festivals happening and I just don't get that from summer.
It always makes me want to buy new stationery as well - must be years of 'back to
school' posters in shop windows!

The day after this year's midsummer I will be in Cumbria on my Plantlore course and I'm
definitely looking forwards to spending my weekend up there and trying out a spot of
camping and finding out how well I cope being out of doors for a couple of days while
learning a bit of planty stuff.

So I suppose I will actually be doing something reasonably celebratory for the season

I hope you have a great time oop North.

[bushwacker bob]

With respect Jodie,you need to get out more.
Outside of London and Just outside in a rural location.
Your views will probably be reversed after your plantlore course.Waking up outside,early in the morning in the woods is a real treat for the soul and makes one realise what life is about.

[Fenlander]

It's probably my least favourite time of year (don't like hot weather, not terribly keen on
long days either) but I'm quite excited at the prospect of being in Kirkwall, Orkney the
following week as I've never been anywhere where the sun doesn't set and apparently
they are having their St. Magnus festival which sounds fun and a little bizarre (midnight
golf happens as well!).

Some Londoners are taking part in "Lights out London" on Thur 21st by switching out
lights from 9pm until 10pm but plenty of Londoners are going to be sneery and dismissive
of this - http://timworstall.typepad.com/timwo..._out_lond.html - I am somewhere in between.

I'm a little out of kilter on this one as I always feel slightly melancholic when the days
are longer and am not quite sure why. For some reason I get very enthused by the
nights drawing in and it getting dark at around half four - it's like I have SAD in reverse

There just seems to be something wonderful about grey skies, the prospect of rain, the
leaves turning and all the wintry festivals happening and I just don't get that from summer.
It always makes me want to buy new stationery as well - must be years of 'back to
school' posters in shop windows!

The day after this year's midsummer I will be in Cumbria on my Plantlore course and I'm
definitely looking forwards to spending my weekend up there and trying out a spot of
camping and finding out how well I cope being out of doors for a couple of days while
learning a bit of planty stuff.

So I suppose I will actually be doing something reasonably celebratory for the season

I hope you have a great time oop North.

Hope you enjoy your time on Orkney Jodie, and learn lots on your plant lore weekend. It will be interesting to see whether your views about this time of year will have changed in a couple of weeks time

[Jodie]

I'm sure you are absolutely right on the needing to get out more - and that's
kind of the plan. Cumbria and Orkney in the same week, not bad going!

Not sure that I'll ever be a fan of warm, sunny weather though... I enjoy the
seasons changing, I just prefer it when we get to autumn.

I think if I was thinner I might not dread the warmer weather as much, as my
mother keeps pointing out to me