At last, Summer Solstice 2007 is finally here. It marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemishphere, it’s Midsummer in Europe, and here, it’s awfully damp and cold. Well, I can only imagine the multitude of festivities up there, maybe some day, I can go to Stonehenge as my personal journey to see it happen right in front of my eyes.

Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, when the power of the sun is strongest. Long long time ago, our ancestors used to worship the sun because it makes plants grow and it gives them warmth, so the moment of the sun’s greatest power marks a celebration for them. Then, several ( well not several, but alot of ) celebrations have sprouted, and Summer Solstice is an event widely celebrated by people around the world.

Here are some celebrations of Summer Solstice across the globe :

* The most famous celebration of Summer Solstice must be the one held in Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England. The axis of Stonehenge is aligned with the sun as it rises, and it looks absolutely breathtaking. More than 10,000 pagans gather around the place to see it happen.

* In a more Christianized setting, Summer Solstice is celebrated as John the Baptist’s day ofbirth. They describe John the Baptist as a “burning and shining light ” that explains the
burning of bonfires during this date.

* In China, Summer Solstice is more of a celebration of the feminine force, called Yin, while during the Winter Solstice, it’s Yang, the masculine force, which is celebrated.

* Ancient Native Americans believe that their rulers came from the sun, and hold various festivals in honor of the sun. Some have built structures under solstices and equinoxes.

* Summer Solstice is also called Midsummer, or Litha. It is widely believed to be a magical night where fairies abound, and anything can happen. Each country has its own tradition for celebrating it.

Gosh, there are too many to mention, for the world celebrates it rather well! Check this link .

Well then, how about the Philippines? We have our own version here!

Remember Nick Joaquin’s novel Summer Solstice? No? Maybe the movie “Tatarin?” Yes, ring a bell? According to The Freeman,

On the day of the “Tatarin”, all their dreams are believed to come true. Mothers without children, a girl wishing for her unfaithful mate to come back, an old lady wanting to restore her beauty, and a woman dreaming of a man she loves — all of them pray and wish and offer sacrifices for the “Tatarin”. During this druidic and surreal ritual, normally repressed women transform themselves into enchantresses.

I have read this story when I was in college, and I was fascinated by it. Women in sexual liberation? That’s a first.

Well, how did I celebrate my Summer Solstice? With work, of course! Next year, I hope it’d be more different. Haha!