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Summer is officially here with June 21 bringing us the summer solstice. Scientifically speaking, the summer solstice is the moment the Earth's axial tilt is at its greatest inclination toward the Sun providing the longest time from sunrise to sunset for the particular hemisphere affected. For the June summer solstice, the North Pole tilts most directly toward the Sun, and the Sun is at it furthest point from the equator. It happens in June in the Northern hemisphere and in late December in the Southern.

That's the business side of summer. But a lot of people use the summer solstice as a day to celebrate, starting at dawn. Legends are many and most include bonfires (as in jumping over) and fireworks but some even include a little magic. For example, in Norway, it's said that if a girl puts flowers under her pillow that night, she will dream of her future husband. In Spain, if a woman wants to be fertile, she bathes in the sea until she's washed by 9 waves. In the time of the Vikings, people would visit healing water wells and make a large bonfire to ward away evil spirits. And in Bulgaria it is thought that anyone witnessing the sunrise on Summer Solstice will be healthy throughout the year. They also believe that a variety of herbs have the greatest healing power at sunrise; therefore, they have to be picked early in the morning before dawn. Women – believed to be sorceresses and enchantresses gather herbs for healing and tomake charms. 

Spaniards ward off evil spirits by jumping over their bonfires three times (or any odd number) for good luck at the cry of “meigas fora” (witches off!). They also drink a special "brew" Queimada, flaming Galician grappa mixed with sugar, coffee beans and pieces of fruit, which is prepared while chanting an incantation against evil spirits.

Latvia sounds like a fun party. Almost everyone celebrates, even Latvians abroad, and they eat local cheese, drink beer, sing folk songs, women wear wreaths of flowers and men wear leaves. They even host a police-protected naked run through the town of Kuldiga at 3 am with beer as the reward. No puritans allowed!

How to celebrate is up to each of us but celebrations are part of the joy of living and the fact that we're here to see another sunrise and sunset is definitely a good reason to revel and rejoice, in my opinion. Happy summer solstice!