Everything You Need To Know About What To Expect From The Summer Solstice On June 21st

People are always talking about how the weather affects their mood. If it’s rainy, people feel more like staying in bed, and if it’s sunny, it’s easier to be motivated and get more done. Beyond the clouds, a big element that affects how people go through their day to day lives is the sun. During the winter months, the days feel shorter. The sun sets earlier so you must drive home from work in the dark. It can be a bummer, but after the winter solstice passes, everyone charges forward towards the summer solstice.

After winter reaches its peak on the winter solstice, the sun starts to stick around for just a little bit longer each day. It’s when you start to notice that you don’t need to drive home with your headlights on and you get to enjoy the sunset while you eat your dinner. That’s because as spring and summer pass, the earth grows closer to the summer solstice. While it may not sound like a big deal just from its name, the summer solstice is a major event for both nature and people.

Not sure what you need to know about the summer solstice? You don’t need to take any classes to learn about what’s going to be going on with the earth in just a few weeks. Read on so you can get informed on all the best information you could possibly want to know before the solstice happens. This year on June 21st, you’ll be in the know about what’s going on, so you can enjoy the summer solstice as much as everyone else.

Things Will Be Bright

Been thinking about treating yourself to a new pair of sunglasses? Now might be the best time to do that! Every year, the summer solstice has the longest period of sunlight out of any other day. To know how much daylight will be in your area, check the Farmer’s Almanac sunrise and sunset calendar. That way you’ll know exactly how long you can celebrate with a barbeque or walk around the block before it starts to get dark.

Especially at a Certain Time

Consider how New Year’s Eve works. On the last day of each year, people across the globe get excited for the positive symbolism that the new year stands for. They count down to the clock ushering the old year out, celebrating when the new one finally arrives. This happens at different times for everyone because of how time zones work. The summer solstice doesn’t work quite the same way. It’s independent of time zones and really all of time itself.

The solstice is the exact moment when the Earth is the most inclined towards the sun, which is when it sits at an angle of 23° 26′. This will happen at the exact same moment for everyone, but technically at different times. You can look up a time calculator to find out when that will be for your area. It’s when the earth will literally pause and soak up the sun, so see if it’ll be at a time where you can be awake and enjoy it.

Hemispheres Handle it Differently

When you’re taught about the hemispheres in grade school, the main thing you learn is that the closer to the equator you get, the warmer you’ll be. The same concept influences how the summer solstice affects the hemispheres. The northern half of the planet gets seven percent less sunlight than the southern half during the summer solstice. This has to do with the curvature of the earth and the changing tilt of the earth’s axis. The good news is that this won’t be a big enough difference for anyone to feel.

People Will Want to Celebrate

The winter and summer solstices have been a reason to celebrate for many generations, and those celebrations continue to this day. Every summer at Stonehenge, people stop by have a festival. Last year 12,000 people showed up to play music and kiss the stones as the sun rose. Because the best current theory is that Stonehenge was made specifically for the summer solstice, it’s a big deal to be able to go out and experience the moment at such a sacred site.

Solstice fans in the US put an American twist on the ritual of cheering on the sun. In Alaska, residents come together to throw an annual Midnight Sun baseball game, and have done so since 1906. People also enjoy doing yoga in the bigger cities, using local flowers that are in season to create prayer circles and mandalas or using flowers and crystals synonymous with Summer Solstice. There’s no wrong way to throw a party for the summer solstice. If you want to have some people over for dinner the night before, go ahead!

So, what do you need to expect from the summer solstice coming up in June? You should first know why it matters! It’s a major event for the earth’s rotation because it brings everyone so close to the sun. It influences the growing season for farmers and even causes higher tides, increasing the risk of floods. It’s not an event that’s as easily noticed as something like a massive hurricane or snow storm because it isn’t something you can see with the naked eye, but it still has a huge influence over the earth.

People have been aware of the importance of the summer solstice for a long time. It may be why we ended up creating Stonehenge, and it’s always been a great excuse for doing something fun. Check around your local area to see if there are any solstice events happening. Chances are good that the spring weather will be perfect for an outdoor party. After the solstice ends, the days will slowly get shorter again, so take advantage of the longest day of the year to thank the earth and do something fun.