Summer Solstice Ideas?

Submitted by Honey on Mon, 06/19/2006 - 10:28am.

DS14 just brought it to my attention that the longest day of the year is sometime this week. Wednesday, I think? Got me to thinking about the summer solstice, about which I know very little.

I thought it would be fun to get up early and watch the sunrise that day. Does anyone have information/links about the summer solstice? Any ideas of ways to mark the occasion?

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Anhata's picture

Brew a batch of mead

Submitted by Anhata on Mon, 06/19/2006 - 11:37pm.

That's what I did for spring equinox. I'm thinking of doing another batch for soltice. It's actually more appropriate to do it in June because the first full moon in June is called the Honey Moon, it was considered the best time to harvest honey, Honey. Evil Couldn't resist.

Celts used to make bonfires, not so easy to do these days in suburbia, though. How close are you to Stonehenge, btw? Big grin Now that would be fun to do at solstice, but I understand they only let the Druids in there now cause the hippies were destroying the site by their sheer numbers alone on solstice.

There's some stuff at Beliefnet.com about solstice celebrations, don't know if that'd help.

Also, I'd like to make beads out of rose petals on solstice--seems appropriate, and boy do I have the roses for it. I'd be a fun thing for DD and I to do together, I think. Then maybe I could watch the movie adaptation of a Midsummer Night's Dream with that really cute guy, whatzisname, Rupert Everett?

Not very inspiring, oh well.

Anhata
www.familynaturally.com
Your Family's General Store, Naturally

Honey's picture

bump

Submitted by Honey on Tue, 06/20/2006 - 6:28am.

Ok this is really weird. I only wrote this thread yesterday and by today it had vanished from the homepage, though there were threads on that page that hadn't been posted on for over a week. Trying to bump this back to the homepage, as I still need solstice ideas Smiling

Lynn's picture

Solstice ideas

Submitted by Lynn on Tue, 06/20/2006 - 9:56am.

The Swedes throw huge parties on Midsummer; little white "tivoli" lights are de rigeur I'm told, but any kind of light including candles should be considered--lanterns of all types--fire of all types, really.

Anything sun-related is good: Solar cooking, for example, or foods that are round and/or yellow or orange.

And your boy's probably a little old for it, but it's also considered a day to honor the fey. Hey--something he's not too old for--"A Midsummer Night's Dream." There's a recent film version of it that's quite charming. Or you could gather friends, assign parts and read it aloud at a dinner party!

Lynn Siprelle, Editor

Honey's picture

thanks

Submitted by Honey on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 5:06am.

Anhata, did your post get caught up in the spam thing? Maybe that's the reason the thread disappeared for a few days Puzzled I only saw your thread today, though Lynn's was there before yours and hers is afterwards. I'm not sure that made sense Big grin

Thanks for all the ideas! I rang every video store in the area to track down a video/DVD of A Midsummer Night's Dream and NONE of them stock it Sad Then I thought we could go to the Open Air performance of it in Regent's Park but couldn't get tickets.

We are several hours from Stonehenge, Anhata. We visited there last year while on holiday in Somerset, but only saw it through the fence. The place was so crowded, with tourists and buses all over the place. I decided that to visit properly I would want to go there outside the tourist season.

What we did in the end, was get up for the sunrise and sit in the garden with candles. We drank a toast to the sun with orange juice Big grin Later we made pancakes (round) with lemon juice (yellow and uh, kind of round?).

I am now on a mission to get hold of that video before next year's summer solstice!

Anhata's picture

spam spam spam spam spam spam spam

Submitted by Anhata on Sat, 06/24/2006 - 7:05pm.

(Having Monty Python flashbacks)

Yes the post above was flagged as Spam and has since been posted. Glad you found ways to celebrate despite the site snafu.

You can order A Midsummer Night's Dream here and it's priced really good in US$. Don't know about the UK Amazon site's pricing though.

I really really liked this film adaptation, I've not watched it for years, it's on my "to watch soon" list! I've got a blanket to finish knitting for a friend of DH's...should combine the two...

Anhata
www.familynaturally.com
Your Family's General Store, Naturally

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