Entertainment
SUMMERTIME VIBES, TRADITIONS,
By Lisa Kirkwood
ith more daylight than in any other time of year, long
vacations, and a wide array of observances of the sun and
nature, social celebrations, music or art festivals, and other
events, summer is the peak season of countless outdoor
activities, even in regions with colder climates.
People usually start their fun routines
as early as May Day, depending on
geographical locations and available
sunshine and warmth, with favorite
pastimes such as fishing, swimming,
hiking, biking, climbing and more,
individually or in groups, way before the
summer solstice when hot weather
truly allows for enhanced personal and
family recreation outside of home.
The summer solstice occurs when one
of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt
toward the Sun which reaches its
highest position in the sky. This happens
twice yearly, once in each of the
northern and southern hemispheres.
Although the summer solstice has the
longest day and shortest night annually
for that hemisphere, the dates of
earliest sunrise and latest sunset vary
by a few days. This is because Earth
orbits the Sun in an ellipse, and its
orbital speed varies slightly during the
year.
The summer solstice has been culturally
important since pre-recorded history. In
Europe, especially, as well as parts of the
Middle East, Asia and the Americas,
many ancient monuments are aligned
with the sunrise or sunset on the
summer solstice.
In the Roman empire, the traditional
date of the summer solstice was June
24, and considered the middle of
summer. On that day, in the ancient city
of Rome, people celebrated Fors
Fortuna, a goddess associated with luck,
fortune, and destiny. At such a time, the
veil between the world of the living and
of the dead was believed to be thin. Men
and women would adorn themselves
with garlands, eat, drink, and party until
dawn.
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