Here Comes the Summer Solstice!
While temperatures soared above the 30 degree Celsius mark after Victoria Day on May 23rd, summer officially begins at 6:34 pm today. As the commuter traffic dwindles, the Summer Solstice pours through the City hurling us into hot and humid weather. Today starts the season of swimming pools, bug bites and scorching sunburns.
Here are some historically hot topics for you to glance through on your patio:
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Today also celebrates the longest day of the year. From this day forward, daylight hours gradually shorten over time. Six months from today, on Wednesday, December 21st at 5:44 pm, the Winter Solstice will mark the shortest day of the year. From that day forward, daylight hours with increase again until the next Summer Solstice arrives to complete the cycle. In contrast, the Spring and Fall Equinox mark the period when daylight balances evenly with the nighttime hours because the sun is directly over the Earth's equator. Paige Williams' (2013) article provides a detailed understanding on how seasons occur as a result of how our planet is tilted.
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As the Earth tilts favourably towards the Sun at different areas of the world, people gather to celebrate this day with food and festivities. Here are four articles on Summer Solstice celebrations from around the world:
- Top 10 Summer Solstice Celebrations Around the World by Huffpost Travel
- 5 summer solstice celebrations from around the world by Mashable.com
- 5 Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice Around the World by Care2.com
- 15 Summer Holiday Traditions from Around the World by Becky Ferreira
Or, you can create your very own Summer Solstice festivity from WikiHow.
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Enjoy these previous TPL blogs as the summer moves forward:
- Summer Awakens the Wandering Traveler
- UFO or Weather Balloon
- Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe, 1762-1850
- Let's Go to the EX!
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While planning your fun in the City, have a look at the following websites:
- Toronto Hogspot Activities/Events/Fun
- City of Toronto – Special Events
- Toronto festivals and events calendar
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Summer would not be complete without some amazing activities for the children and family across the City. Thursday, June 30, 2016, the TD Summer Reading Club registration begins and the book reporting starts on Monday, July 4, 2016! The program runs all summer long and ends on Saturday, September 3, 2016. Children are encouraged to sign up, read books, join in on some amazing activities, and spend the best part of the summer learning and having fun.
Enjoy this day and every sun-drenched day that is available for the next three months. The weather can only get better from this point forward. No matter where you reside, the Summer Solstice arrives to bring joy and celebration all around.
2 thoughts on “Here Comes the Summer Solstice!”
There’s also this book called the Path of the Spiritual Sun that explains in details the celebrations of solstices and equinoxes, a time where people connect with the heavens and the earth. It mentions that the Pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, Glastonbury, and other sacred sites around the world aligned to the Sun. It also points out many similarities between these sacred sites, such as all worshipped the Sun(also known as the Christic force of Love). It’s a great book to learn the universal spiritual significance of these celebrations. It is also recommends how to celebrate them.
http://belsebuub.com/books/the-path-of-the-spiritual-sun-celebrating-the-solstices-and-equinoxes
Dear Lilian:
Thank you for your feedback and suggestion. It looks to be an interesting title on this topic. I will check the link.
We have now passed our 2016 Fall Equinox and looking forward to the Winter Solstice. For now, I am celebrating the changing colours of the leaves before the winter temperature drops down below zero.
Take care,
Ann