When is the first day of summer 2019?
Although Memorial Day often feels like the kickoff to summer, on the calendar, the first day of the season doesn't actually occur until later in June. Astronomically, the summer solstice is the official first day of summer 2019 and will take place on Friday, June 21.
What is the summer solstice?
In short, the summer solstice takes place when the sun travels the longest path to reach its most northern, highest point in the sky. This creates the longest day of the year (sunlight wise) and the shortest night.
More scientifically, the summer solstice occurs between June 20 and June 22 (depending on the year), when the North Pole is tilted toward the sun at about 23.4°. This is the most extreme incline the Northern Hemisphere will experience all year. This is also the sun's longest path, hence creating a longer amount of daylight. (The latin term "solstice" translates to "sun standing still.") At noon, the sun's rays will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer.
If you want to get precise, the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice will commence the first day of summer 2019 at exactly 11:54 AM EDT.
However, there are technically two summer solstices in a year. The Southern Hemisphere will experience their summer solstice in December when the South Pole is inclined towards the sun. At this time, the Northern Hemisphere will experience its winter solstice.
How ancient people celebrated the summer solstice
In ancient times, the solstice was celebrated in many ways. In fact, knowing the start and end date of the seasons was vital to ancient people's survival and indicated when to plant and when to harvest crops. It is believed that many of their monuments—Stonehenge and Bighorn Medicine Wheel—were designed around the rising of the sun during the summer solstice.
According to History.com, ancient Northern and Central European pagans celebrated with bonfires, which were believed to boost the sun's energy for the rest of the growing season and ensure a bountiful harvest. (Bonfires also helped keep evil spirits away.)
In ancient Egypt, the summer solstice marked the first day of the year and the rise of the Nile River, which was crucial for their food supply. In ancient Greece, it marked the start of the new year, began a 30-day countdown to the start of the Olympic games and was celebrated with a festival called Kronia, which invited slaves to participate as equals. And in ancient Rome, they marked the day with Vestalia, a festival honoring goddess of the hearth, Vesta.
How the summer solstice is celebrated today
Today, plenty of cultures still celebrate the summer solstice with midsummer festivals that include bonfires, flower crowns and dancing.
In Wiltshire, England, the summer solstice marks the rare occasion that the Stonehenge is open to the public. Last year, roughly 9,500 people were in attendance for the event, according to Wiltshire police.
"It's a great opportunity for friends and families to come together and mark the longest day of the year, as people have done for thousands of years," Kate Davies, English Heritage's director of Stonehenge told BBC last year.
"There was a lovely, friendly atmosphere throughout, the sun shone, and dawn was met with loud cheers."
