Summer Solstice traditions from the Old Farmer's Almanac
- Tourists travel to Stonehenge in England to experience the solstice.
- In Sweden, the first day of summer is marked by eating the first strawberries of the season.
- In ancient Egypt the new year began on the summer solstice. It coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile.
- Many cultures light bonfires to mark the arrival of the season.
Summer Facts:
- Summer's name comes from the Old English word sumor.
- Solstice comes from the Latin words sol, meaning sun and sistere, which means come to a stop.
- The “dog days of summer” take place from July 3rd through August 11th. Those weeks are named for the Dog Star, which the ancient Greeks blamed for the hot temperatures.
- The Eiffel Tower grows six inches in the summer.
- The summer is when Hollywood releases blockbuster movies.
- July is the hottest month in the Northern Hemisphere.
- While we in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying summer, the Southern Hemisphere is settling in for winter.