Longest night, shortest day approaches

The winter solstice is the day when the Sun reaches its furthest north position in the sky and starts moving back towards the south. This marks one of the main turning points in the year, with the others being the equinoxes and the summer solstice in December. This year winter solstice is on Saturday, 21 June. After this date, the days will start becoming longer and the nights shorter.

In ancient times, solstices and equinoxes were important in guiding people to develop and maintain calendars, as well as helping them to grow crops. It was important for many people, especially those who spent a considerable amount of time outdoors, to understand the seasons and weather, which played a key role in their lives. The date of the June solstice, which in the northern hemisphere is the summer solstice, was an important source to help people manage their calendars and organise when to plant and harvest crops. This time of year was also a traditional month for weddings.
Interestingly, some believe that Stonehenge, which was built around 3100 BCE, was built to help establish when the summer solstice occurred. At Stonehenge, the sun rises at a particular point on the horizon as viewed from the centre of the stone circle on the day of the June solstice. At that point the builders may have started counting the days of the year. Many other megalith structures in Europe may have been built for similar purposes, although the exact reasons are still uncertain.

In ancient China, the summer solstice was observed with a ceremony to celebrate the Earth, femininity, and the “yin” forces. It complemented the winter solstice that celebrated the heavens, masculinity and “yang” forces. According to Chinese tradition, the shortest shadow is found on the day of summer solstice.

In many European countries, mid-summer festivals of celebration were held around the time of the June solstice. In ancient Gaul, the mid-summer celebration was called Feast of Epona, named after a mare goddess who personified fertility and protected horses. In ancient Germanic, Slav and Celtic tribes, many pagans celebrated with bonfires.

In North America, some Native American tribes held ritual dances to honor the sun. The Sioux were known to hold one of the most spectacular rituals during the June solstice. Preparations for the dance included cutting and raising a tree that would be considered a visible connection between the heavens and Earth, and setting up teepees in a circle to represent the cosmos. Participants abstained from food and drink during the dance itself. Their bodies were decorated in the symbolic colors of red (sunset), blue (sky), yellow (lightning), white (light), and black (night).