The summer solstice is a holiday and an astronomical event which marks the longest day of the year, and conversely, the shortest night of the year. In the Northen hemisphere, this occurs usually during the month of June. In the Southern hemisphere, this occurs in December. Starting right after the winter solstice, daylight continues to last longer and longer every day. On the summer solstice, the daylight lengthening is nearly imperceptible, and then every day after that days gradually get shorter and shorter again.http://www.livescience.com/environment/090620-summer-solstice-science.html
The summer solstice also marks a significant holiday in some cultures and spiritualities. In ancient and agrarian times, this was a popular holiday to celebrate since it fell between the planting and harvest season and was a celebration of the light. In many cultures throughout history, the Summer Solstice has also been considered an important holiday for fertility. This includes celebrations in Ancient Gaul, Ancient China, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Sweden.http://www.religioustolerance.org/summer_solstice.htm And many of these ancient cultures also erected stone monuments and calendars to measure the days in order to help calculate the summer solstice. This is even a possible reason Stone Henge was built, seeing as the axis of Stone Henge is perfectly aligned with the sunrise on the summer solstice.
In modern times, the summer solstice is celebrated by Pagans who may refer to the holiday as Litha. Carrying on the tradition of ancient cultures, modern Pagans will traditionally pay homage to the sun, growing crops and plants, and enjoy the extra light, often with an outdoor fire of some kind.http://www.wyrdology.com/festivals/solstice/summer.html Many pagans and curious onlookers also gather annually at Stone Henge for worship, celebration, and a festival spirit.
Summer Solstice and Litha
This video provides a description of the pagan holiday of "Litha", which is celebrated on the summer solstices. Several photographic images are presented, many from Stone Henge, which is a mecca of celebration for the summer solstice holiday. In the background, a song is playing that is a tribute to the holiday.
The Science of the Summer Solstice
This image shows how the Earth's axises are pointed on the summer solstice. On this day, the North Pole is pointed as far toward the sun as it will travel, exposing the northern hemisphere to the longest amount of light.
References
Fast Facts
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Sumer Solstice Dates
2010 - June 21
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Fact:
2011 - June 21
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Fact:
2012 - June 20
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Other Names for the Solstice
Midsummer, Litha, and the first day of summer
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The Sun's Position
During summer solstice the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer
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Celebration at Stonehenge
Estimated 25,000 people attend summer solstice festival at Stonehenge annually
