Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. It’s also the shortest day on the other side of the equator. For this reason some people favor calling it the Northern Solstice or the June Solstice. After all, it’s not summer in the southern half of the world.
Every year I learn a little bit more about solstices and equinoxes.
For example, I was taught that the summer solstice marks the first day of summer. But Midsummer is celebrated at the end of June, just after the solstice. That doesn’t seem to make sense. How can the middle of summer come at the beginning. I’ve been confused about that for years. Do solstices and equinoxes mark the beginnings or the midpoints of the seasons? Both, as it turns out. Some cultures do it one way, some do it another.
I wish we did more to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes. As it is, all my holiday energy gets absorbed by other days and all I never do anything special on a day like today. Homan’s got the right idea; maybe I’ll eat eggs until I puke.
Discover more from b.rox
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
“Today is the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. It’s also the shortest day on the other side of the equator. For this reason some people favor calling it the Northern Solstice or the June Solstice. After all, it’s not summer in the southern half of the world.”
It’s also not “northern” in the southern half of the world. While it would be “June” in both hemispheres, I don’t think either hemisphere should give a rat’s ass whether or not they both have the same, identical name for it.
We had our first practice for the summer wooden bat league from 7:30 – 9:30. We turned on the lights toward the end but didn’t really need to. It was still light when I closed the park.
So, M.A.D., you don’t see the value of a name for a global phenomenon that makes sense globally? Even “June” doesn’t really make sense globally since many cultures have other calendars. However, calling the June Solstice the Northern Solstice and the December one the Southern Solstice makes a lot of sense to me.
“So, M.A.D., you don’t see the value of a name for a global phenomenon that makes sense globally?”
Not really. While it’s a global phenomenon, it’s actually different for each hemisphere. Sort of a yin/yang thing. You can’t have one without the other, but they’re not the same exact event. They compliment each other. One provides the longest day for half the world, one provides the shortest day for half the world. In the end, the world still makes one revolution that day. It’s Summer Solstice for us now, Winter Solstice for them now, It’s Happy Hour somewhere.
And I wrote that without the aid of bong hits.