The Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year can be a great excuse for a party, fire dancing, burning effigies, all night drumming.

But for many people it has special significance, marking the flourishing of crops and nature. Thousands of people congregate at ancient site to celebrate. Crusties, hippies and Druids gather at Stonehenge along with fire-eaters and drummers, they celebrate all night long before catching the sunrise through the stones. The solstice falls on 21st June (in the Northern Hemisphere), the sun is visible above the horizon for the longest time, so it is the longest day.

The ancient Britons hauled huge stones into circles which acted as sundials. Back in 2000BC these enabled them to tell the seasons and possibly gave them an agricultural calendar. Stones were aligned to the sunrise on the solstice. Gors Fawr circle in Wales has stones that mark the midsummer sunrise. Castlerigg circle in Cumbria marks the midsummer sunset with the tallest stone's shadow extending for two miles into the valley.

Fire plays a significant part in solstice celebrations. Some communities have a tradition of hurling flaming discs into the air or rolling wheels of fire downhill. The burning circles represent the sun and its descent to winter. In some countries huge effigies are paraded around before being burnt as symbolic sacrifice.

According to anthropologists living sacrifices were made in the past - cats, snakes even people were burnt alive. The fires indicate the importance of the solstice as a cleansing ceremony.

The Christians may have realized this as the feast of St John, who baptised Jesus, is celebrated on 24th June.

Many cultures believed in the cleansing and healing properties of midsummer fires. In Bavaria sick cattle were driven through the flames to cure them. In Baden it was believed the crops would grow as high as the flames.

In Morocco it was believed childless couples could become fertile by leaping over the flames. In Ireland a maiden could guarantee a future husband and children by leaping the midsummer bonfire three times.