Celebrating the Summer Equinox
Pagan Celebrations for the Longest Day of the Year
The Summer Solstice falls around the 21st of June each year. To understand the beginnings of celebrations marking the longest day of the year and the coming of the warm growing season, one must look back to pre-historic times, when the first people on earth in the northern hemisphere celebrated the warm temperatures and the coming growing season. Food was easier to find, Spring days had brought thawing out of the ground so the summer crops could be planted.
June Celebrations
June is traditionally the beginning of time between spring planting and late summer harvesting. There was more time for leisurely activities during this month, which also was the month of what was called the "Honey Moon," the first and only full moon in June. It is called that because tradition dictates that this is the best time to harvest honey from the bee hives, where the bees have been busy all spring making that sweet confection.
Another traditional celebration often held in June are weddings. The reason, according to information found at the Summer Solstice Celebrations website, is that May was the traditional mating time for the gods and goddess at the Beltane celebrations. It was unlucky to compete with the deities, so most couples did not plan their weddings until June. Many food dishes served at these weddings contained honey from the first harvests, thus the name of the event taking place after the wedding: the Honeymoon.
Ancient Midsummer Celebrations
The Druids, who were the priests of the ancient Celtic regions celebrated the midsummer by crowning the Oak King, the god of the waxing year (the year past) who then fell to the Holly King, god of the waning year (the year to come). This was in recognition of the days becoming shorter after the summer solstice. In ancient China the celebrations were centered on the earth, the feminine, and the yin forces, opposite the winter celebrations of the heavens, the masculine, and yang. The goddess Epona, often seen as a woman riding a horse, was celebrated in ancient Gaul to bring about the aspects of fertility, sovereignty and agriculture.
Midsummer Bonfires
Several ancient Slav, Germanic and Celtic tribes in Europe celebrated midsummer by building huge bonfires to dance around and jump through. Some tribes believed that the crops would grow as high as the couples were able to jump through the flames, while others believed that the bonfires would create magic that gave more energy to the sun so it would remain strong throughout the coming growing season, assisting in creating a bountiful harvest.
Ancient Structures Celebrating the Solstice
Perhaps the most well known structure created thousands of years ago to help in the celebration of the Summer and Winter Solstices is Stonehenge in the English countryside. The monument was built with massive stones between 3100 and 1100 BCE, according to information found on the Places of Peace and Power Website. Stonehenge is but one of many ancient structures that can be found in various places of the world that historians surmise were built as part of ancient solstice celebrations.
Summer Solstice Celebrations
The earth, the sun, and the weather are all celebrated in these ancient cultures because those elements were vital to their existence. Without them, there would be no harvest, no food, and they would not survive. These ancient peoples celebrated them at appropriate times of the year to appease the gods and assure successful planting and harvesting.
Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
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