Mid-Summer Solistice
Today is the summer solistice, the longest and brightest day of the year. In some ancient cultures, it marked the beginning of a new year. Many traditions exist around this time of year throughout history and the world - interesting to explore ( link: https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-summer-solstice )
I remember from my teenage years, a Celtic festival held during the summer solistice. The little town I visited held an annual celebration of midsummer. It was a time to reflect on the promises of a new year- a time to appreciate life and throw worries of the prior year metaphorically into the fire. I remember it vividly. I think today of the solistice as an opportunity to realign. I spent many of my childhood summers in Ribadesella, a coastal town in Cantabria, where this local festival continues and seems to draw from Celtic roots. Asturias was once part of Cantabri — today, it is called Cantabria and it was once part of Celtic settlements. Every summer, the bonfire celebrated the new season — and my friends would dance and metaphorically throw it in the fire anything holding them back. It is a memory I carry with me as a time of reflection and celebration.
The Celts — who I am researching marked many times throughout the year we still celebrate today. For instance, Samhain, a time when they believed the physical and spiritual worlds could commune easier — a time of great change between the fall equinox and winter solstice was held in high significance. It is believed the Celts would carve out turnips, and other vegetables to ward off dark forces, hoping for a shorter winter and perhaps less darkness as winter opened up — if the harvest didn’t come in time and winter was too long- it could spell disaster. The Celts made bonfires during this time and wore costumes of animal hides(BBC). It is interesting that this time of year even now, is marked by some of the same traditions centuries later, our modern day celebration of Halloween is similar— we still carve pumpkins and do some of the same things people did back then. We still have anxieties that plague our lives in different ways. It’s fascinating how much we have in common with people centuries apart.
It got me thinking about how I might prepare for summer or winter. What types of things do we celebrate or ward off? How does intentionally defining these things help us navigate change?
