The summer solstice or summer equinox is the day of the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere. The summer solstice occurs at the moment when the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation towards the Sun is at its lowest. The day of the solstice is also called the solstice.

Depending on the calendar shift, the summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere (winter solstice). In 2018 in Ukraine it will take place on June 21 at 13.07 Kyiv time. The longest day is 17 hours and 33 minutes long.

This holiday has many names among the people: Ivan Kupala, Ivan the Herbalist, Yarilin's Day, Sontsekres, Spirits Day, Dew Festival - these are all the names of the summer solstice at different times among different peoples. And in some countries, such as Finland and Sweden, the summer solstice is even a day off and a national holiday.

With the adoption of Christianity, the pagan holiday of Kupala did not disappear from Slavic culture, but was transformed on the day of John the Baptist, which according to the old style fell on June 24. But after the transition to the Gregorian calendar, the day of John the Baptist shifted to July 7. Today in Ukraine the celebration of Ivan Kupala does not coincide with the summer solstice.

Summer Solstice Day: holiday traditions

The Summer Solstice is a pagan and Zoroastrian holiday, the shortest night of the year. Scientists still cannot come to a common opinion when the pagans began to celebrate the solstice. We only know that it was long before our era. Many years ago, the summer solstice was of great importance for our ancestors, who obeyed natural cycles. In the times of the pagans, the sun had divine power over all living things, and the summer solstice meant the highest flowering of all the forces of nature.

There are many beliefs associated with the summer solstice that are still rightfully worthy of our attention, because on the day of the summer solstice there is a powerful surge of energies of goodness, love and prosperity. It is believed that on the day of the summer solstice all magical rituals, rites and conspiracies have special power.

On the day of the summer solstice, a midsummer festival was celebrated, which was called Lethe. On this day they jumped over the fire, sang songs and just had fun.

In ancient times, rituals involving fire and water were performed on this day. For example, it was believed that swimming in ponds cleanses the soul. The flame also had purifying properties: mothers burned the shirts of sick children. According to legend, the disease burned along with the clothes.

Ancestors had a tradition of watching the sunrise on the day of the summer solstice; their ancestors were convinced that this gave strength and health for the whole year and protected from troubles.

The summer solstice was considered a good day for a wedding. However, now weddings are not celebrated on this week, because June 21 falls during Lent.

Signs for the summer solstice

On this day they found out what the harvest and weather would be like in the summer.

If there is thunder on this day, then expect prolonged bad weather.

It’s good if you take a steam bath on this day. Collect the broom on this day. This way you can “knock out” all bad thoughts and illnesses from yourself. The body and mind will be cleansed.

The morning sunrise you meet alone or with loved ones will help give you strength for the whole year, as well as get a strong amulet.

Make your deepest wish and on this day climb over any twelve fences.

If the sky is starry, expect a big mushroom harvest this summer.

All misfortunes and troubles will bypass the house if you hang a bouquet of Ivan da Marya flowers on the threshold.

The water collected on the morning of June 21 is considered healing. They collected water from wells and springs, washed themselves with it that same day and drank it.

But the rain that day did not bode well. In the evening everyone went to jump over the fire, which promised a rich harvest and prosperity for the family. Rain and wet grass made it difficult to light fires and perform all rituals.

And to prevent evil spirits from entering the house, it was necessary to place a burning or prickly plant, nettle or rose hips in the openings of windows and doors.

In the old days, the summer solstice was called the summer solstice - after this event, the day begins to shorten, the sun “turns” towards winter. They said: “The sun is for winter, summer is for heat.”

Summer solstice for the earthly observer Sergey Ov"

Fig.1 The position of the Sun on the Summer Solstice north of the Tropic of Cancer.

“The summer solstice is the longest day of the year,” this is how most respondents will answer the question: “What is remarkable about the summer solstice?”
More advanced survey participants will tell you that from the point of view of an earthly observer, on this day the Sun at noon rises to its greatest height in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere, and on this day the shadows are the shortest (Fig. 1)
But if you ask this question to an astronomer, he will answer that on this day (day) the Earth, in its orbital movement, passes the point of the summer solstice.

It turns out that the summer solstice is just a moment, a moment! And according to the basics of modern astronomy, this is indeed true.
The summer solstice point is the point in Earth's orbit at which the angle between the direction to the center of the Sun and the north of the earth's axis becomes minimal, and the plane passing through the center of the Sun and the axis of the Earth is perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic (Diagram 1 - in addition, a separate section is devoted to this topic, for those who are interested in the astronomical aspects of this event).

Scheme 1. Planet Earth at the summer solstice point, the ecliptic plane and the tilt of the earth’s axis

Earth at the summer solstice, ecliptic and tilt of the earth's axis, mini

To enlarge the image and see explanations, click on it...

Events associated with the summer solstice

According to the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Calculation of Time” and the basics of celestial mechanics, the most common date of the summer solstice in Central Russia is June 21, only occasionally in leap years can the solstice occur on June 20, and even then thanks to the Moon (the next such event is expected on June 20, 2024 23 :50 MSK).

In 2019, the Earth will be at the summer solstice point 21 June 2019 18:54 MSK(06/21/2019 15:54 UTC - ).

At this moment the following events will occur:

1. Astronomical summer will come;
2. According to the zodiac calendar, the Sun will move into the zodiac sign Cancer;
3. The length of the day begins to decrease.

In addition, on these days:
1. This night will be the shortest night of 2019;
2. The sun rises to its greatest height in the sky of the Northern Hemisphere at noon;
3. The sun will rise and set at the northernmost points of the horizon.

On the morning of this day, in case of clear weather, a ray of sun will touch the cherished mark of the summer solstice at Stonehenge, just like in other ancient structures designed to provide calendar time.

Customs and traditions that originated during the summer solstice

The Nativity of John the Baptist, according to the Orthodox calendar, established by Julius Caesar, falls on June 24; at the beginning of our chronology, the summer solstice also fell on these days...
But the trouble is, every 128 years the Julian calendar lags behind the currently accepted Gregorian calendar by one day; in 2000 thousand years since the Nativity of Christ, almost 14 days have passed, so now the Orthodox celebrate Ivan Kupala on July 7 according to the modern Gregorian calendar.
So, as we have now learned, the celebration of Ivan Kupala in former times fell on the days summer solstice. For all ancient peoples, this day does not go by without special attention. The ancient Slavs celebrated the Wedding of the Sun on the first night that began to lengthen (usually from June 23 to 24), since at this time “the dawn meets the dawn.” - The wife of the Sun (Yarilo, and, accordingly, Yarilin Day) was Zarya (Zarya Zaryanitsa), according to another version, the Sun, and the heat and fire associated with it, was personified by Dazhbog (Dazhdbog), who married on this day the goddess of earth and water Mokosha . The last version has some logical confirmation in the ancient tradition, celebrating this union of the gods who control the elements of fire and water, people exposed themselves to the cleansing effects of these elements. Unfortunately, although in the early Christian period the church did not interfere with the celebration of ancient Slavic rites, it sought to provide an Orthodox basis for them. As a result, practically nothing from ancient Slavic pagan mythology has survived to this day. In addition, the pantheon of East Slavic gods mentioned in writing in ancient sources is so small that it provides the opportunity for unlimited flights of fancy in the composition of “proto-Slavic mythology” and “recreation” of the numerous pantheon of “Slavic gods”.

Based on materials from the section “Customs and Traditions of the Kupala Night” of the article:

Proverbs and sayings about the summer solstice

"The sun is for winter, summer is for heat."
"Solstice - the beginning of summer."
"In June the dawn meets the dawn"
"Before the solstice this spring, after the solstice - before the winter".

Summer solstice point

By definition, solstice is a moment that is physically very difficult to fix (and, as a result, expensive), so it is determined by calculation using celestial mechanics, using the following signs of the summer solstice point:

The angle between the direction to the center of the Sun and the north of the earth's axis reaches a minimum ();
- the plane passing through the center of the Sun and the axis of the Earth is perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic ().

True, these signs are more suitable for stating the fact of the solstice than for calculating or perceiving the astronomical essence of the event - for this, stereometric criteria are more clear, and most importantly, historically reliable:

The angle between the ecliptic plane and the equatorial plane reaches a maximum: 23° 27" ();
- the line of intersection of the equatorial plane with the ecliptic plane is perpendicular to the line connecting the center of the Sun and the center of the Earth (direction to the Sun -);
- the line connecting the center of the Sun and the center of the Earth passes through the Tropic of Cancer (Northern Tropic).

Diagram 2. Summer solstice point: ecliptic plane, equatorial plane and earth's axis

Earth at the summer solstice and the tilt of the earth's axis
Diagram 2. Summer solstice point: ecliptic plane, equatorial plane and earth's axis

To enlarge the image and see explanations of the symbols, click on it...

It is no coincidence that diagram 2 shows the main axis of the Earth's orbit - line A 1 A 2.
As can be seen from the figure, the semimajor axis of the Earth's orbit OA 1 passes near the point of the summer solstice; literally in a few days the Earth will be at aphelion - the farthest point of its orbit from the Sun. In 2019, the Earth will pass aphelion 07/04/2019 22:11 MSK. Due to this relative position of the solstice point and aphelion of the Earth in the Northern Hemisphere, summers are not as hot as in the Southern Hemisphere, and winters are milder, since in winter the Sun is closer to the Earth. But this will not always be the case; in 12,900 years, the summer solstice will occur near perihelion (the point of the orbit closest to the sun), which will inevitably lead to climate change.

Earth at the summer solstice
View from near-Earth space

Earth at the summer solstice, tilt of the earth's axis (big picture)
Sergey Ov

The main sign of the summer solstice point.

Designations:

S summer N - line indicating the earth's axis;
∠OS summer N - the angle of inclination of the earth's axis in the direction of the Sun: at the point of the summer solstice its value reaches a minimum (66° 33");
B 1 B 2 - perpendicular to the direction of the Sun, lying in the ecliptic plane;
DC - perpendicular to the direction of the Sun, lying in the plane of the earth's axis;
∠B 1 DC - the angle between the ecliptic plane and the plane of the earth's axis.

Summer solstice
Observation from Earth

Signs of the summer solstice point, stereometry

Designations:
OS summer - a line connecting the center of the Sun and the center of the Earth (direction to the Sun);
Z 1 Z 2 - line of intersection of the equatorial plane with the plane of the earth's axis;
∠Z 1 S summer O - the angle between the ecliptic plane and the equatorial plane: at the point of the summer solstice its value reaches its maximum (23° 27");
E 1 E 2 - line of intersection of the equatorial plane with the ecliptic plane;
∠OS summer E 2 - the angle between the line of intersection of the equatorial plane with the ecliptic plane and the line connecting the center of the Sun and the center of the Earth with a straight line: 90°!
A 1 A 2 is the main axis of the Earth's orbit.

Sergey Ov(Seosnews9)

1. Solstice - the moment in time at which the center of the Sun passes either through the northernmost. the point of the ecliptic, which has a declination of +23° 27" (summer solstice point), or through its southernmost point, which has a declination of - 23° 27" (winter solstice point). Near the solstice, the declination of the Sun (see Celestial coordinates) changes very slowly, since at this place its movement along the ecliptic occurs almost parallel to the equator. This is the reason why the midday altitude of the Sun remains almost constant for several days, which is why the term “solstice” is associated.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd ed. 1969 - 1978

2. A. N. Afanasyev. Poetic views of the Slavs on nature (1869) - reprint: M., 1994

3. Aphelion- special case apocentre. Term Aphelion used to name the most distant point in the orbit of celestial bodies moving around the Sun. There is a synonym: apohelium (from the Greek "Helios" - Sun). Planet Earth passes the aphelion point of its orbit on July 3-5 (depending on the relative position of the planets and the date after the February leap year correction). The calculated distance between the centers of mass of the Earth and the Sun at aphelion is 152098233 kilometers (1.0167 AU).

There are four moments in the annual cycle that play a significant role in life on Earth.

People have long known about the existence of these transition points, but the physical essence of these phenomena became clear only with the development. We are talking about two solstices (winter and summer) and two equinoxes (spring and autumn).

What is solstice?

At the everyday level, we understand that the solstice is the day with the longest (summer solstice) or shortest (winter solstice) daylight hours. Our distant ancestors knew well that before the winter solstice the day shortens, and after it begins to increase. In summer, the opposite happens. It was also noticed that on the day of the winter solstice the sun occupies its lowest position above the horizon, and at the moment of the summer solstice it passes the highest point for the entire year.

What is happening to our planet and the Sun from a scientific point of view? Let's remember some astronomical concepts.

Celestial sphere- an imaginary surface that we look at when we are on Earth and looking around the sky. For us, earthly observers, it is along the celestial sphere that all celestial objects, including the Sun, move.

Ecliptic- a circle located on the celestial sphere along which the Sun moves relative to the Earth.

Equator of the celestial sphere– a circle located perpendicular to the celestial sphere coincides with the Earth’s equator.

Due to the fact that the Earth's axis is inclined to the planet's orbit around our star, the equator of the celestial sphere and the ecliptic do not coincide. Due to this, the seasons change with moments of transition - solstices.

On the day of the solstice, the Sun passes through the points of the ecliptic that are furthest from the celestial equator. Otherwise, this can be expressed this way: solstices are the moments of the greatest (in winter) or smallest (in summer) deviation of the earth’s axis from the Sun.

Winter and summer solstice

The winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 (the date may vary in different time zones). This day marks the shortest daylight hours and longest night in the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice falls on June 21 and is distinguished by the fact that this date has the longest daylight hours and the shortest night.


In the southern hemisphere, exactly the opposite processes occur: there is a summer solstice in December, and a winter solstice in June.

What is an equinox?

There are two more important points in the annual cycle - the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes. These days the Sun passes the intersection points of the celestial equator and the ecliptic. The days of the equinoxes fall in the middle of the period from one solstice to the next (although due to the fact that the earth moves around the Sun not in a circle, but in an ellipse, the dates shift slightly).

The spring equinox falls on March 20 or 21, the autumn equinox on September 22 or 23. As the name suggests, equinoxes are the times when day is equal in length to night.

How do the solstices and equinoxes affect life on Earth?

People have always known that critical points in the movement of our star across the celestial sphere affect nature. This is especially true for residents of northern latitudes, where the change of seasons is more pronounced. For example, from the day of the March equinox, real spring comes to us: it becomes warmer, the soil warms up, and plants come to life. This is of great importance for agriculture.

It is no coincidence that the agricultural calendar has always been associated with the days of the solstices and equinoxes. Important pagan holidays fell on these dates, some of which were adopted by Christianity. These holidays are:

Winter solstice - Catholic Christmas and Kolyada;

Spring equinox - Maslenitsa;

Summer solstice - the holiday of Ivan Kupala;

The autumn equinox is a harvest festival.


As you can see, even in the technocratic 21st century we celebrate these events without even thinking that they are related to the annual solar cycle and how dependent our ancestors were on natural phenomena.

The Summer Solstice holiday is the brightest, luckiest day of the year, it is filled with the energy and magic of the Sun. Traditionally, we draw an analogy with the pagan holiday of Litha, but there are many traditions that, one way or another, celebrate this day. In ancient China, during the solstice, a ceremony was held to celebrate Earth Day, femininity and the forces of “Yin”. This day was the opposite of the winter celebration of Heaven, masculinity and the "Yang" of the beginning.

In ancient Gaul, this day was called the holiday of Epona - the Mare Goddess, who personified fertility and protected horses.

In North America, some Indian tribes held ritual dances in honor of the Sun. Preparations for the celebration included raising a pole from a felled tree, which symbolized the visible connection between heaven and Earth. The participants of the holiday abstained from food and drink during the actual dance around the tree. Their bodies were decorated with symbolic colors: red (sunset), blue (sky), yellow (lightning), white (light) and black (night).

In the ancient Germanic, Celtic and Slavic traditions, it was not only a celebration of the crown of summer, but also the union of the elements of Fire and Water. In old sources you can still find a description of this holiday, like Kupailo, when the sun bathes in water, and the Earth unites with Heaven. This is one of the holidays of the year related to the Solar Cult - the tradition of Light and knowledge. From this day begins a whole series of so-called days of power, these are energy-intensive periods that last two to three weeks from the Summer Solstice itself.

The biological system of most of us is connected to the Sun, rising and setting, its rhythms influencing every aspect of our being. Therefore, if we consider this day from the point of view of physiology and science, then we can objectively say that when the day is filled with a lot of sunlight, we are biologically pumped up, our energy level increases, we are cheerful and our mood also increases positively. Therefore, the top of summer is a very positive time, both physically and emotionally, which makes it ideal for making decisions, beginnings, strengthening relationships, conceiving, getting out of depression, building a house, and fighting bad habits.

An integral part of the celebration of the Summer Solstice is a fire, this is a strong elemental magic that can cleanse our energy of all debris and dirt invisible to the physical eye, so there are practices when we pass our hand over the fire, as if collecting its heat in our palms, and then wash ourselves with it, like water. Even the day before the Solstice, you can put on old socks and walk around in them for a day, or at least sleep at night, and on the day of the holiday itself, take them off and burn them at the stake, so that your illnesses will burn away along with these socks. By the way, jumping over flames is also not just for fun. It is important to know that if there is an inflammatory process in your body, you have a fever, and a woman has special days of the month, then it is better for you to hold off on fire rituals. From June 21 to July 8, you will have time to take the desired actions to improve your life.

The main themes of the Summer Solstice are the fight against evil spirits, fertility, marriage and well-being. The colors that symbolize the day are white and yellow, which is why most often the symbol is considered to be a daisy, the center of which is like a small Sun.

All herbs on this magical day, without exaggeration, are imbued with special power, but one of the most powerful plants of the summer Solstice is St. John's wort, which is famous for its properties of fighting evil spirits, the otherworldly and is prescribed by herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

Water from springs collected these days can bring good health, especially if, when collecting it, you think about what exactly you are taking it for. Summer dews also have the same unique properties.

However, let's get back to herbs, it's a little more complicated here and you'll have to use your intuition, and everyone has it, so don't worry that you didn't get it. In nature, our senses are heightened, try to relax and transfer your attention to the herbs, keep a question, desire or request in your head and mentally ask which herbs can help you with this, and then follow along the herbs and collect those that suddenly appeal to you, like They say, the heart will tell you. How to dispose of the bouquet is up to you, you can weave a traditional wreath from it and float it down the river, or weave it to protect the house and hang it in the hallway, or perhaps the treasured bouquet will go under the pillow of its owner to give clues in a dream or fulfill wishes about a new novel and dreams of true love...

Of course, we will not ignore such an important, ardently desired topic of love. Women who want to become attractive at the solstice smear themselves with honey with the wish to be as sweet as honey, and wash themselves in the morning dew so that their face and body will be fine.

If you haven't traditionally celebrated the Summer Solstice, why not try this year?

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The summer solstice occurs at the moment when the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation towards the Sun is at its lowest.

It is more obvious to residents of high latitudes that the summer solstice occurs on the longest day and shortest night of the year, when the sun rises at its highest in the sky. Because the summer solstice lasts only a short moment in time, other names are used for the day on which the summer solstice occurs, such as “midsummer,” “longest day,” or “first day of summer.”

Depending on the calendar shift, the summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Summer Solstice Day 2018: what date?

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, lasting 17 hours and 33 minutes.

Usually this day falls on June 21, and only in leap years - on the 20th of the same month. So, in 2018, this event will take place on June 21 at 13:07 Moscow time.

But why exactly the solstice? The fact is that on June 21, an ordinary observer gets the impression that the Sun seems to freeze at its zenith and does not move anywhere throughout the day.

The longest day of the year 2018, how long it lasts, date

The Summer Solstice is the longest sunny day of the year. As a rule, it falls on June 21, and in leap years a day earlier - on June 20. And since 2018 is not a leap year, this year the longest day falls on the 21st of this month.

The name solstice day arose because people who observe the Sun on this day see a picture of the luminary frozen on the horizon. Another name for the Solstice is Solstice; it is also customary to celebrate on this day, a folk holiday associated with this phenomenon, and there are its own traditions.

History of the Summer Solstice Day

During the times of paganism in Rus', the summer solstice holiday was considered one of the main ones. Our ancestors treated the Sun with respectful awe, so they tried to pay tribute to its strength, power and undeniable power. They sacrificed precious items, hand-made souvenirs, and the best of the entire litter of livestock.

Our ancestors believed that if you engage in magical rites and rituals on the Summer Solstice, which fell on June 21 in 2018, you can change your destiny for the better. It was believed that the more esoteric manipulations and fortune telling a person carried out, the calmer and more prosperous his personal life would be throughout the year. That is why the villagers gathered together, set long tables in the field, sang songs, danced around the fire and jumped over the fires. The final conclusion of the holiday was a general fortune-telling using wreaths of flowers, which were subsequently floated along the river.

The astronomical meaning of Summer Solstice

The summer solstice day received this name for a reason. The thing is that astronomers noticed that in the period from June 19 to 22, the Sun literally stands still, practically not deviating from its location. On June 21, it is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, so the scientific term “solstice” began to be used on this day.

On this day, the level of solar activity increases, so scientists often warn about upcoming magnetic storms and increased atmospheric pressure, which negatively affect the health of many people. To protect yourself from sunstroke or poor health, on June 21, 2018, it is not recommended to rest under the open sky until 17:00. After this time, the activity of the Sun will subside a little, and you will be able to comfortably enjoy fresh air and nature without headaches.

Traditions and folk signs of the Summer Solstice Day holiday

The summer solstice in 2018 will come on June 21, during the period of Peter the Great's Fast, if we take into account the calendar of Orthodox holidays. Many people adhere to Christian traditions, so they try to completely abandon the consumption of meat and dairy products during this period. From time immemorial, there has been a tradition of setting the table on the Summer Solstice from everything that grew this year under the sun. These products include:

• Flower honey, symbolizing the power of the Sun;
• Early herbs - parsley, all varieties of green salad, dill, green onions and basil;
• Vegetables - new potatoes, carrots, pears;
• Berries and fruits, including forest varieties of blueberries and strawberries.

It is believed that such food is imbued with solar energy, which on the Summer Solstice will help a person get rid of diseases.

One of the most important traditions on the Summer Solstice was swimming in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. If we delve deeper into pagan beliefs, then it is on the shortest summer night that mermaids and mermen sleep in their pools, without stopping people from paying tribute to the power of the solar disk. It is believed that a person who swims in the river during the day or night on the solstice will gain strength and extend his life by several years.

Since the Sun is closely associated with fire, it was customary to light fires on the Summer Solstice. This was not done by accident. Our ancestors believed that at this time fire acquired magical powers that could cleanse people’s homes of evil spirits, bad energy and damage. There is still a tradition of lighting a wax candle in your home, walking with it several circles around the apartment in the direction of clockwise movement, and then leaving it in a candlestick in the main room so that the candle burns down.

Spell to make a wish come true on Summer Solstice

A very powerful ritual has reached our time, which is usually performed on the shortest night of the year. To do this, you should go out into the forest or field, pick the most beautiful flowers that you come across on the way, and then sit in a secluded place and start weaving a wreath. At this moment, you need to make your deepest wish and read the spell: “Oh, you are noisy rivers, violent winds, endless fields. Look at me, the servant of God (your name), tired. Bring my request to the Heavenly Light, ask for me, but do not be angry. The sun will circle the entire earth and fulfill my wish. So take him beyond the seven mountains, on an eagle or on a falcon, so that the Sun can hear. When sunset comes, calm down, don’t wake the sleeping person, don’t disturb me. She said her word and did her deed. So be it, Therussiantimes reports. Amen". After this, the wreath had to be taken to the river and released. It was believed that after 40 days, a cherished wish should come true.