Solstice is one of the two days of the year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator, i.e. when the height of the star above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. This results in the longest day and shortest night (summer solstice) in one hemisphere of the Earth and the shortest day and longest night (winter solstice) in the other.
Longest day of the year
The day of the summer solstice is the day of the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, that is, if the inhabitants of the Northern part of the Earth from this moment are at the beginning of astronomical summer, then for the inhabitants of the Southern hemisphere astronomical winter will begin in the same period of time.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, 21, or 22. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on these dates. Due to various inequalities in the movement of the Earth, the solstices fluctuate by 1-2 days.
In 2017, astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere will begin on June 21 at 7.34 am Moscow time.
Dawn in Moscow
On the day of the summer solstice at the latitude of Moscow, the Sun rises above the horizon to a height of more than 57 degrees, and in territories located above a latitude of 66.5 degrees (the Arctic Circle), it does not set beyond the horizon at all, and the day lasts around the clock. At the North Pole of the Earth, the Sun moves across the sky at the same height around the clock. It is polar night at the South Pole at this time.
During several adjacent days of the solstice, the midday heights of the Sun in the sky are almost unchanged; This is where the name of the solstice comes from. After the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the day begins to wane, and the night gradually begins to increase. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way around. For thousands of years, the summer solstice was of great importance to our ancient ancestors, who obeyed the cycles of nature.
How the Slavs celebrated the solstice
In the old days, even before the advent of Christianity, the holiday of Kupala, dedicated to the ancient pagan god Kupala, was timed to coincide with the summer solstice.
On this day and night, they wove wreaths, drank surya (a honey drink), jumped over fires, made sacrifices to water and fire, collected medicinal herbs, performed rituals calling for the harvest, and “purifying the soul and body” ablutions in rivers, lakes and streams. The central place among the vegetation that night was occupied by ferns. It was believed that a fern flower, blooming only for a moment at midnight, would accurately indicate where the treasure was buried.
People said: “At Kupala - the sun is for the winter, and the summer is for the heat,” “Whoever does not go to the Bath will be a tree stump, and whoever goes to the Bath will be a white birch.”
The holiday has many names. Depending on the location and time, it was called Kupala, Kres (Old Russian), Ivan the kind, loving, Ivan-Kupala, Ivan the Herbalist, Yarilin's day (in the Yaroslavl and Tver provinces), Sontsekres (Ukrainian), Spirits-day (Bulgarian) and etc. In Ukraine it is also known as Kupailo, in Belarus - Kupala.
Participants of the Novgorod Kupala festival in Veliky Novgorod
With the adoption of Christianity, people did not reject the holiday of Kupala, but, on the contrary, timed this day to coincide with the day of John the Baptist, which, according to the old style, falls on June 24. But according to the new calendar style, the day of John the Baptist falls on July 7th. Today, the celebration does not correspond to the astronomical solar equinox.
How the solstice is celebrated in the West
The celebration of the summer solstice was present in all ancient pagan systems; many peoples still celebrate it to this day, some in its original form and some in a simplified form, leaving only the basic rituals and transforming the ancient rituals of their ancestors into a vibrant holiday.
Summer solstice among all Celtic peoples it was considered the time of fairies, elves and other supernatural beings. Among the Celtic peoples of Britain, the holiday was called Litha and was closely associated with the pagan cult of the sun.
Summer Solstice Festival
The Scandinavian and Baltic peoples celebrated the day and night of the summer solstice magnificently. Subsequently, these holidays in different countries received the name Midsummer's Day or Midsummer's Night (from the national version of the name Ivan).
In Latvia, the holiday is called Ligo or Jan's Day, it has state status and is celebrated on June 23 and 24, which are official holidays. In Estonia it is also called Jan's Day, in Lithuania - Jonines or Rasos (dew festival). In both countries it is celebrated on June 24 and is a public holiday and day off.
In Norway, the holiday named after John the Baptist is called Jonsok ("Midsummer's Night"). Another name for the holiday is Jonsvaka (Jonsvoko) - formed from the name Johan and the verb vake - “to stay awake”. It was believed that on Midsummer night one should not sleep until dawn - not only because one can hear the singing of elves, but above all for the purpose of protection for the whole coming year. Another name for the holiday, more “official”, is Sankthansnatt or Sankthansaften (St. Hans’s Night).
Sailing yacht from Finland "Svanhild" at the "Days of the Sea" holiday in the Tallinn port of Vanasadam
In Sweden the holiday is called Midsommar. Until 1953, it was celebrated on the same day that the Christian Church celebrated the day of John the Baptist. But now the holiday usually falls on the penultimate Saturday of June, that is, it is usually celebrated from June 20 to 26. In Sweden, the celebration begins the day before, on Friday, which is also a non-working holiday.
In Finland, during pagan times, the holiday was called in honor of the God of Fire - Ukon juhla, but now it is called Juhannus - an outdated form of pronunciation of the name of John the Baptist. Since 1954, Johannus has been celebrated on a Saturday falling between the 20th and 26th of June. Since 1934, this day has been an official holiday - the Day of the National Flag of the country.
Solstice is one of the two days of the year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator, i.e. when the height of the Sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. This results in the longest day and shortest night (summer solstice) in one hemisphere of the Earth and the shortest day and longest night (winter solstice) in the other.
The day of the summer solstice is the day of the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, that is, if the inhabitants of the Northern part of the Earth from this moment are at the beginning of astronomical summer, then for the inhabitants of the Southern hemisphere astronomical winter will begin in the same period of time.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, 21, or 22. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice falls on these dates. Due to various inequalities in the movement of the Earth, the solstices fluctuate by 1-2 days.
In 2017, astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere will begin on June 21 at 7.34 am Moscow time.
On the day of the summer solstice at the latitude of Moscow, the Sun rises above the horizon to a height of more than 57 degrees, and in territories located above a latitude of 66.5 degrees (the Arctic Circle), it does not set beyond the horizon at all, and the day lasts around the clock. At the North Pole of the Earth, the Sun moves across the sky at the same height around the clock. It is polar night at the South Pole at this time.
During several adjacent days of the solstice, the midday heights of the Sun in the sky are almost unchanged; This is where the name of the solstice comes from. After the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the day begins to wane, and the night gradually begins to increase. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way around.
For thousands of years, the summer solstice was of great importance to our ancient ancestors, who obeyed the cycles of nature. In the times of the pagans, the sun had divine power over all living things, and the summer solstice meant the highest flowering of all the forces of nature.
In the old days, even before the advent of Christianity, the holiday of Kupala, dedicated to the ancient pagan god Kupala, was timed to coincide with the summer solstice.
On this day and night, they wove wreaths, drank surya (a honey drink), jumped over fires, made sacrifices to water and fire, collected medicinal herbs, performed rituals calling for the harvest, and “purifying the soul and body” ablutions in rivers, lakes and streams. The central place among the vegetation that night was occupied by ferns. It was believed that a fern flower, blooming only for a moment at midnight, would accurately indicate where the treasure was buried.
People said: “At Kupala - the sun is for the winter, and the summer is for the heat,” “Whoever does not go to the Bath will be a tree stump, and whoever goes to the Bath will be a white birch.”
The holiday has many names. Depending on the location and time, it was called Kupala, Kres (Old Russian), Ivan the kind, loving, Ivan Kupala, Ivan the Herbalist, Yarilin's day (in the Yaroslavl and Tver provinces), Sontsekres (Ukrainian), Spirits-den (Bulgarian) etc. In Ukraine it is also known as Kupailo, in Belarus - Kupala.
With the adoption of Christianity, people did not reject the holiday of Kupala, but, on the contrary, timed this day to coincide with the day of John the Baptist, which, according to the old style, falls on June 24. But according to the new calendar style, the day of John the Baptist falls on July 7th. Today, the celebration does not correspond to the astronomical solar equinox.
The celebration of the summer solstice was present in all ancient pagan systems; many peoples still celebrate it to this day, some in its original form and some in a simplified form, leaving only the basic rituals and transforming the ancient rituals of their ancestors into a vibrant holiday.
The summer solstice among all Celtic peoples was considered the time of fairies, elves and other supernatural beings. Among the Celtic peoples of Britain, the holiday was called Litha and was closely associated with the pagan cult of the sun.
The Scandinavian and Baltic peoples celebrated the day and night of the summer solstice magnificently. Subsequently, these holidays in different countries were called Midsummer's Day or Midsummer's Night (from the national version of the name Ivan).
In Latvia, the holiday is called Ligo, or Jan's Day, it has state status and is celebrated on June 23 and 24, which are official holidays. In Estonia it is also called Jan's Day, in Lithuania - Jonines or Rasos (dew festival). In both countries it is celebrated on June 24 and is a public holiday and day off.
In Norway, the holiday named after John the Baptist is called Jonsok ("Midsummer's Night"). Another name for the holiday is Jonsvaka (Jonsvoko) - formed from the name Johan and the verb vake - “to stay awake”. It was believed that on Midsummer night one should not sleep until dawn - not only because one can hear the singing of elves, but above all for the purpose of protection for the whole coming year. Another name for the holiday, more “official”, is Sankthansnatt or Sankthansaften (St. Hans’s Night).
In Sweden the holiday is called Midsommar. Until 1953, it was celebrated on the same day that the Christian Church celebrated the day of John the Baptist. But now the holiday usually falls on the penultimate Saturday of June, that is, it is usually celebrated from June 20 to 26. In Sweden, the celebration begins the day before, on Friday, which is also a non-working holiday.
In Finland, during pagan times, the holiday was called in honor of the God of Fire - Ukon juhla, but now it is called Juhannus - an outdated form of pronunciation of the name of John the Baptist. Since 1954, Johannus has been celebrated on a Saturday falling between the 20th and 26th of June. Since 1934, this day has been an official holiday - the Day of the National Flag of the country.
June 21, 2017 is a day filled with the strongest energy of the solstice. The traditions of this time have been observed for several centuries, and the unique energy of the day can completely change your life.
What the longest day of the year can give you
June 21 is one of the most powerful and energy-filled days of the year. At this time, you can easily harmonize your biofield and thereby get rid of diseases, bad habits, material difficulties and all kinds of problems.
To implement your plan, you need to do three things:
- clearly set a goal;
- understand what stands in your way to the desired success;
- turn to one of the elements: fire, water, air or earth.
Determining the element that is most likely to help you realize your plans is quite simple. Fire and air in occultism most often embody the “element of deliverance,” that is, they are turned to in order to remove everything unnecessary and causing discomfort from one’s life.
Earth and water, on the contrary, belong to the embodying elements, so if you want to attract wealth, love or good luck, you should turn to one of them. Solstice rituals can help you renew your personal energy field and get what you want in a short time.
Why is the summer solstice dangerous?
Like any time of power, Solstice is fraught with not only creative, but also destructive energy. The “dark side” of this day can disrupt your plans and turn events against you.
An unfavorable outcome is possible if:
- you are in a quarrel with a loved one or blood relative;
- you have been dishonest with yourself and others;
- your energy is weakened by constant stress and cannot safely accommodate both sides of the solstice.
You can avoid troubles on this day only by accepting and realizing your own responsibility for your life and everything that happens in it.
This day is designed to show us that both sides are always to blame in a quarrel, that harmony must be sought within oneself, and luck comes to those who are ready to help others without expecting immediate returns.
The first step to changing your life is better side can be the practice of positive thinking. We wish you a happy summer solstice and only good mood. Take care of yourself and don't forget to press the buttons and
21.06.2017 11:08
The summer solstice is a special time in esoteric terms. It is associated with the beginning of astronomical summer...
Solstice - 1 of 2 days a year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator, i.e. when the height of the Sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. This results in the longest day and shortest night (summer solstice) in one hemisphere of the Earth and the shortest day and longest night (winter solstice) in the other.
At the time of the summer solstice, the ancient Slavs celebrated Kupala Day (Kupala or Kupala - God of earthly joys). Therefore, even now, many people associate the solstice holiday with pagan rituals of worship of the forces of nature and spirits, in particular, with the worship of the Sun and fortune telling.
Kupala traditions include rituals such as collecting medicinal herbs, lighting fires, bathing or dousing with water, fortune telling, and festive treats.
According to Christian tradition, this holiday is celebrated 2 weeks later - Midsummer Day, Ivan Kupala Day (John the Baptist).
Signs for the summer solstice:
If you climb over 12 fences on this day, your wish will come true within a year.
To get rid of all diseases, you need to take a steam bath with a broom collected on this particular day.
Children born on the summer solstice, June 21 or 22, have the evil eye, which means they can cast the evil eye. According to another sign, these people have good health and a happy destiny, as they are under the protection of the sun.
Bad weather on the summer solstice predicts a bad harvest and a poor year.
If the Sun is hidden behind the clouds, summer will be bad.
If there is a lot of dew in the morning - a rich harvest. This dew was collected and poured into one vessel; it was considered healing. The water collected in the morning from wells and springs had the same power. They washed themselves with it that same day and drank it.
If there are many stars in the sky, this means mushroom summer.
Evening will come only after nine o'clock in the evening
Today is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. This means that daylight hours will last longer today than on any other day. In Moscow, for example, the Sun began to rise above the horizon as early as 3:45, and sunset will come only at 21:18. In the Southern Hemisphere, today, on the contrary, should be the shortest and the night the longest
The summer solstice may fall on June 20 (usually in leap years) or June 22, but it occurs most often on June 21. The height to which the Sun will rise above the horizon today will be the maximum in the Northern Hemisphere, and the minimum in the Southern Hemisphere for the entire year. Moreover, for several days before and after June 21, the luminary at noon is practically at the same altitude, although in other periods of the year this indicator changes somewhat more rapidly. That is why the word “solstice” is used to refer to today. At the north and south poles of the Earth, today is the halfway point of the six-month long polar day and polar night, respectively.
Scientists call today the beginning of astronomical summer in Eurasia, North America and much of Africa, as well as astronomical winter in Australia and South America.
In many countries, there are traditions that are somehow associated with the onset of the longest day of the year, although they rarely coincide with the “astronomically” exact date. In particular, from the evening of June 23 (July 6, new style) until June 24 (July 7), the folk holiday of the Eastern Slavs, Ivan Kupala, is celebrated. In Sweden, Latvia and some other countries, the summer solstice is officially considered a day off.
WITH tomorrow The day in the Northern Hemisphere will begin to gradually shorten, and in the Southern Hemisphere it will increase. September 22 will mark the vernal equinox, when day and night on the entire Earth will last almost equally (if you do not take into account the influence of atmospheric refraction, due to which the day will still be slightly longer), and December 21 will mark the winter solstice.