Happy Summer Solstice!

     Yes, today is the summer solstice, the time when the daylight lasts the longest and the darkness lasts the shortest of the year.  The ancient Celts celebrated the summer solstice by lighting bonfires, symbolizing the conquest of the day over the night.  The ancient Saxons in the northern European countries also marked the solstice by making huge bonfires to celebrate the long stretch of daylight, in contrast to the lengthy darkness of the winter solstice.  The Romans celebrated this time in honor of Juno, the wife of Jupiter, and the goddess of women and childbirth.  Her name is found in the month that the summer solstice occurs, and June continues to be a popular time for weddings.

     So, enjoy the sun today.  Light a fire or light a candle, dance in the sunlight, take a walk, or just laze about in the sunshine.  Celebrate!

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)