by Marina Stein

Created on: May 06, 2010

If you look through traditions existing in many countries of the world, you will notice that a lot of people share the tradition of celebrating summer solstice. Those traditions, no doubt, come from the very ancient times when people worshipped gods of Sun, Moon, Water, etc. Those pagan traditions are surprisingly common to many cultures, especially in Europe.

During the summer solstice people celebrated Sun and its cleansing powers. It was done by lighting huge bonfires and jumping over them the night before the actual day of the solstice. It was believed that by doing that you could get protection from evil spirits for the whole year. The night before the solstice was considered to be a special magic night when all bad creatures were free to roam the world - that was why a lot of peasants didn't even sleep that night. It was also common to go into the woods and collect flowers and herbs which were believed to have special powers that night.

Girls made wreaths and released them in the waters to see if they would swim or sink. The wreath "behavior" told a girl if she would find a husband in the coming year. Morning dew was considered to cure a lot of ailments, for example, infertility. Also, after that night swimming in the rivers, creeks and seas was considered safe.

As you can see, there are three main features of summer solstice celebration: bonfires, collecting flowers and herbs and wreath-making, and playing in the water. It is very easy to incorporate those elements in the modern celebration and have a lot of fun with family and friends. In the evening before summer solstice day start a fire in a safe location. Gather around the fire, toast some marshmallows and sausages, grill some hot dogs, and share stories about the passing year. If you want to jump over the fire to utilize the cleansing power of the Sun, by all means, do it but remember about safety.

Next morning take a walk through the woods, your garden, or in the park. Collect flowers if possible and make a wreath. Wear your wreath to the nearest body of water, be it a creek, lake, river, or ocean. Get in the water and let your wreath go. While watching it float away, thank the Sun and water for being here for you, and then swim for a while. If you don't have any water nearby, you still can utilize water part of the celebration by using a water hose - your kids will be very happy for sure!

The most important part of the summer solstice celebration is, without doubt, the celebration of being a part of nature and enjoying the healing powers of Sun, water, and plants. Have fun and don't forget about safety around fire and water!

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