Summer Solstice

[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/timworstall/2007/06/lights_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/timworstall/2007/06/lights_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