Pictured is the early morning sunrays over the Oresund bridge from my flight ! Midsummer is the period of time in the middle of the summer. The exact dates vary among different cultures, but is primarily held close to the summer solstice. SUMMER SOLSTICE IS THE DAY WHEN SUN REACHES ITS LONGEST POSITION AND WITH THE LONGEST PERIOD OF DAYLIGHT. The celebration predates Christianity, and has existed under different names and traditions around the world. The occasion is also celebrated as the Day of the Finnish Flag. In Sweden, – the Midsummer is such an important festivity – Midsummer Eve is always a Friday between 19 and 25 June and Saturday between 20 and 26 June is Midsummer Day – People often begin the day by picking flowers and making wreaths to place on the maypole, which is a key component in the celebrations. People often begin the day by picking flowers and making wreaths to place on the maypole, which is a key component in the celebrations. The maypole is raised in an open spot and traditional ring-dances ensue, to the delight of the children and some of the adults

MID SUMMER

WHAT IS MID SUMMER FESTIVAL ?

MID SUMMER FESTIVAL IS THE OBSERVATION & CELEBRATION OF SUMMER

THE EXACT DATES VARY BY CULTURES

BUT IS PRIMARILY HELD ON A DATE CLOSE TO THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

SUMMER

• Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, falling after spring and before autumn
• At or around the summer solstice (about 3 days before Midsummer Day), the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice
• The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, tradition, and culture
• When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa

WHAT IS SUMMER SOLSTICE ?

SUMMER SOLSTICE IS THE DAY WHEN SUN REACHES ITS LONGEST POSITION

AND

WITH THE LONGEST PERIOD OF DAYLIGHT

Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still)

• The summer solstice, also known as estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun
• It happens twice yearly – once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern)
• For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight
• Within the Arctic circle (for the northern hemisphere) or Antarctic circle (for the southern hemisphere), there is continuous daylight around the summer solstice
• On the summer solstice, Earth’s maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°
• Likewise, the Sun’s declination from the celestial equator is 23.44°
• The summer solstice occurs during summer
• This is the June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the December solstice in the Southern Hemisphere
• Depending on the shift of the calendar, the summer solstice occurs sometime between June 20 and June 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and between December 20 and December 23 in the Southern Hemisphere
• The same dates in the opposite hemisphere are referred to as the winter solstice
• Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been seen as a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals
• Traditionally, in many temperate regions (especially Europe), the summer solstice is seen as the middle of summer and referred to as “midsummer”
• Today, however, in some countries and calendars it is seen as the beginning of summer.

SUMMER SOLSTICE – DISTINCTIONS

• Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year for that hemisphere, the dates of earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary by a few days
• This is because the Earth orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its orbital speed varies slightly during the year
• Although the Sun appears at its highest altitude from the viewpoint of an observer in outer space or a terrestrial observer outside tropical latitudes, the highest altitude occurs on a different day for certain locations in the tropics, specifically those where the Sun is directly overhead (maximum 90 degrees elevation) at the subsolar point
• This day occurs twice each year for all locations between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn because the overhead Sun appears to cross a given latitude once before the day of the solstice and once afterward
• For all observers, the apparent position of the noon Sun is at its most northerly point on the June solstice and most southerly on the December solstice.
• Full moon – The year 2016 was the first time in nearly 70 years that a full moon and the Northern Hemisphere‘s summer solstice occurred on the same day – The 2016 summer solstice’s full moon rose just as the Sun set

SUMMER SOLSTICE / MIDSUMMER – CULTURAL ASPECTS

• The significance given to the summer solstice has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of religion or fertility
• For example, in Sweden – midsummer is one of the year’s major holidays when the country closes down as much as during Christmas
• In some regions, the summer solstice is seen as the beginning of summer and the end of spring
• In other cultural conventions, the solstice is closer to the middle of summer

IS MID SUMMER ONLY A SEASONAL FESTIVAL ?

NO

MID SUMMER CELEBRATION IS A FESTIVAL WITH SEASONAL, CULTURAL & RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE

MID SUMMER CELEBRATIONS PREDATES CHRISTIANITY

&

HAS EXISTED UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES & TRADITIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD !

NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

ST. JOHNS EVE

QUARTER DAYS

ADONIA

• These are commemorated by many Christian denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, and Anglican Communion as well as by freemasonry
• In Sweden, the Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been proposals to make the Midsummer’s Eve the National Day of Sweden -instead of June 6
• In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Midsummer’s festival is a public holiday
• In Denmark and Norway, it may also be referred to as St. Hans Day

WHAT IS THE RELIGIOUS HISTORY & SIGNIFICANCE OF MID SUMMER FESTIVAL ?

NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN – THE BAPTIST OR SAINT JOHN´S DAY (THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST)

• Saint John’s Day, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, was established by the undivided Christian Church in the 4th century AD, in honour of the birth of the Saint John the Baptist, which the Gospel of Luke records as being six months before Jesus
• As the Western Christian Churches mark the birth of Jesus on December 25 / Christmas – the Feast of Saint John (Saint John’s Day) was established at midsummer, exactly six months before the former feast
• Within Christian theology, this carries significance as John the Baptist “was understood to be preparing the way for Jesus”, with John 3:30 stating “He must increase, but I must decrease”; this is symbolized in the fact that the “sun begins to diminish at the summer solstice and eventually increases at the winter solstice.”
• Midsummer / Saint John’s Day–related traditions, church services, and celebrations are important
• In Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Quebec (Canada), the traditional Midsummer day, June 24, is a public holiday
• So it was formerly also in Sweden and Finland, but in these countries it was, in the 1950s, moved to the Friday and Saturday between June 19 and June 26, respectively

HOW IS MID SUMMER FESTIVAL CELEBRATED ?

IS IT UNIVERSALLY THE SAME WAY, TRADITIONS & SYMBOLISM ?

YES & NO

THERE ARE SO MANY BELIEFS, CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS PREVALENT IN DIFFERENT AREAS, COUNTRIES & REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD – SOMETIMES SOME MIGHT OVER LAPP AND SOME TOTALLY DIFFERENT, UNIQUE & SPECIAL TO THAT PLACE, PEOPLE OR CULTURE !

SOME SYMBOLISMS, BELIEFS, TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, OBSERVANCES & CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

GROUPED INTO BROAD CATEGORIES BELOW