Midsummer. Long days, bright nights, a play by Shakespeare, the fabled White Nights in St Petersburg, where people don’t bother going to bed. A brief chance to party before the sun recedes for another year. It’s all based on the Earth’s angle of inclination and the point of its path around the sun.
Stonehenge, the famous stone circle on the Salisbury Plain in England, is the site of one of the best known midsummer celebrations. On the day of the solstice it is claimed that an observer in the centre of the ring will see the sun rise over the heel stone. But actually, that isn’t true.
More than one person has pointed out that ancient people were less likely to care about the summer solstice than the winter solstice and indeed, it seems Stonehenge was set up to record the mid-winter event. This rather good article gives more information. Why? Because winter was a time of freezing cold and biting hunger. The nights were long and dark and people prayed and made sacrifices for the return of the sun. That’s why we celebrate Christmas in the way we do – many ancient traditions are mixed into the Christian myth.
Needless to say, lining the sun up with geological objects has made its way into science fiction and fantasy, too. One that springs to mind is Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series. Thread would return when the red star was bracketed in the star stone. The creation of the warning sign was part of the plot in Red Star Rising (Dragonseye in the US).
Mid winter isn’t always so awful, though. It depends on how far you live from the equator. It’s mid winter for me right now but in the sub-tropics it isn’t a real hardship. To those of you in the frozen north, enjoy your time in the sun.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something to read on the beach, and you like science fiction with a bit of romance on the side, you might like to download one of my books. Please come inside and check out the selection. Leave me a comment and be in the draw to win an ebook of your choice from my titles.
What’s more, you’ll be in the running to win one of TWO GRAND PRIZES!
1st Prize – a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch
2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.
For more chances to win pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found at this link.
gretavanderrol.wordpress.com 
I’ve never been to your part of the world. For those of you having winter at this time, I guess the blog hop should have been just a solstice one, instead of a summer solstice one. Loved your post!
It’s interesting. I think the Northern Hemisphere tends to forget there’s another one. I think we down under are much more aware of the other side of the world. I guess we see it on the telly a lot.
I enjoyed this article. Stonehedge has always fascinated me.
Thanks. Stonehenge (and all the other stone circles) are fascinating monuments.
I enjoyed your post very much. I love those Pern stories! Our life would be very different without our sun. Thanks for the contest.
Thanks for stopping by
As I said before on another post – I love learning things and this hop so far has taught me a few new things – thanks!
Great. I’m pleased you enjoyed it.
Hadn’t thought about how different the sky would be in different hemispheres. I’d like to see that! It might give me a feel for being on an alien world.
It’s very different. For example, we can’t see the North star (the big dipper) and the constellations are up the other way. Eg. Orion looks like a huge saucepan to us, with the sword pointing up.
Very interesting post. I’d like to visit Stonehenge.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Yes, if you could get to the standing stones – which these days, you can’t. Pity. Thanks for commenting.
I’ve never been far enough north to experience white nights. I would love to!
Yes, me, too. I have a Finnish friend who has told me all about it. It’s a short summer and when it’s on, they party.
Thanks for participating. I’ve been curios about Stonehenge since I was little. It does inspire.
AnnaM
doxisrcool at aol dot com
Stonehenge is an amazing place. There’s a lot we don’t know about it. Those stone age folk were pretty smart – much smarter than we give them credit for.
Nice to have a truly global perspective on our “Midsummer” solstice!
Isn’t it? (The Global bit). We all tend to forget that the world’s bigger than our backyard
I adored the Pern books and never really thought about the Star Stones connection to Stonehenge. Thanks for sharing the info!
Cheryl
cheryl(at)cherylcorbin(dot)com
Well… I wouldn’t be surprised if something like Stonehenge triggered the idea for Anne McCaffrey.
Awesome post and great blog hop!
Hi thanks for popping in – glad you enjoyed the post
Very interesting post! I prefer the winter night sky to the summer. The air is much clearer and the stars are brighter but I can see how the ancient people would be more concerned with a winter solstice. Thanks for the giveaway!
suz2(at)cox(dot(net
Thank you to all the lovely folks who commented. I’m glad you enjoyed the post and you maybe learnt something.
Very interesting post. I live in the UK, and the winter solstice is usually accompanied by cold and rain, although the last two years we’ve had snow. This year the summer solstice was nearly as chilly. (I think Summer fell on a Wednesday, LOL!) I love the Anne McCaffrey ‘dragonriders of Pern’ series too.
Very nice post about the importance of the winter solstice.
Enjoying this blog hop and discovering new people to follow! (following you now)
Viklitblog (AT) gmail.com
I never knew that about Stonehenge being the counter for Mid-winter. And today, isn’t too frozen here in the Northern Hemisphere…it’s been running close to 100 near NYC. – Loved the Pern series. You mentioning it makes me want to go back and read it again.
Blessings,
Kathleen Scott
In my fiction I prefer to refer to northern and southern solstices, and northward and southward equinoxes. But summer solstice is important in Fairbanks.
Thanks for the interesting post and amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
I do enjoy the snow, but not the long periods of darkness. I’m enjoying the long days now. 🙂
All the best!
Jess
jessicasubject.writer at gmail dot com
Very nice post! I’m actually learning quite a bit going through the participating sites for this blog hop!
As much as I dislike the biting cold of winter, I’m not too crazy about summer. I prefer the milder weather of spring or fall to be honest. LOL
Pam
vanillaorchids69(at)gmail(dot)com
Great post! Very interesting. Im a summer person, especially over winter. So many fun things to do in the summer. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and for the fun hop!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Here in Wyoming midsummer is just on the outer edge of spring, since we have such a long winter. The days and night are just moving toward the heat of summer here, the fields are still green. Later in the summer all the fields will be dry and yellow green. Midsummer is the loveliest time of the year!
Great post and an extra woo hoo for Anne M. mention. 🙂 I so would love to hang on that beach. I think I would take the summer over the winter. I can deal with the warm weather better than the cold! 🙂
Can we trade winters? Sub tropics…(insert dreamy gaze here) sounds so much better than -30s where I live. Lucky. 🙂
Midwinter here is too cold for my liking, but I enjoy the sultry heat of summer.
:o)
liana.brooks1(at)gmail(dot)com
I live in the midwest-USA and we are enjoying a lot of the sun right now. Although it’s pretty hot. LOL.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com
I live in Greece. We can’t live with our sun. The most days of the year are hot here. So Mid winter sounds pretty cool to me.
Thank you for the giveaways!
Artemis
Another fun blog post, Greta. Very much enjoyed it. I’ve never been to your side of the world, but have read much and always wished to come!
Another great post. I’m learning so much about the solstices on this blog hop. Thank you for sharing.
I grew up on a ranch, two hours from the nearest populated area. The skies were amazing, the stars unlike anything I’ve seen since. Unfortuantely where I live now, the city lights compete with natures beauty. I still get out and give them a look, soaking in the view my ancestors worshipped.
Great post, thanks for sharing,
Dawn
When I did a search I did find more about the winter solstice. Enjoyed your post.
Mid winter here in Tennessee isn’t bad at all; Greta. In fact we often celebrate at a snow fall because it’s so rare before February. Only once in the 10 years I’ve lived here have we awakened to a White Christmas. Mid-Summer (which we’re enjoying now) used to mean people would complain of the heat if it got into the high 80’s – and it rarely did. The past few years have seen high 90’s and even triple digits.
It boggles my mind that other parts of the world are experiencing their winter during June, July and August. I am slipping into the lightest slacks I have, tee shirts and wearing a bandana around my forehead to keep the sweat out of my eyes as i work and you’re bundling up against the cold. You’ll be mowing your grass and tending your gardens in December and January while I’m stoking the fireplace trying to keep warm. Amazing!
“Bundling up against the cold” where I live means maybe wearing shoes, jeans and a sweat shirt. I have a leather jacket that gets dragged out when I go overseas, or maybe south to Melbourne. I never wear it here.
You know, that’s one of the fab things about the internet. You get a glimpse at a different world that’s happening somewhere else, right now. Very philospohical.
Great info Greta!
Interesting observation about the winter solstice being more important for many. The thought that the long, freezing winter is one the wane must have been a big relief for them.
It was indeed. Several of my English friends commented about the deep winter around Christmas time. Thanks for stopping by.
I live on the Gulf Coast in Alabama and we also gather for the sunsets. I am a little older now and appreciate the setting of the sun more than the partying. I like closing my eyes and still seeing the beautiful colors behind my eyelids. Happy Winter Solstice and heres to a summer one soon!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. And I’m with you on the partying.
I just returned from 3 days in Key West Florida where, year round, people gather in the waterfront area to celebrate the sun setting over the ocean, a rarity on the east coast of the USA. Afterwards restaurants and bars are full of partying people. Yesterday the sun set at 8:32.I spoke to someone who lived there all year round, and she told me that in December when the sun sets at 5, it makes for an early dinner and a long night of partying.
On another note – This is a dumb question, I know, but if it’s winter for you, did you still call yesterday “summer” solstice?
I understand about the sun setting into the sea. That photo on my blog was a sunrise, actually. We’re on the east coast of Oz. And no, we celebrate the winter solstice at this time of year. Yay, the days are getting longer again. Not that they were very short to start with, you understand.
Thanks for commenting.
Hey Greta! Very interesting blog! Happy Solstice!
Yep, and Happy Solstice to you, too. You must be getting sick of the shivery nights.
Just a bit. Thank heavens for winter woolies though ❤
When you travel “above” do you find the stars disconcerting? I got dizzy looking up at the night sky in New Zealand
I find the night sky very empty in your part of the world. The northern sky is hard to see (too much competition) and I don’t see much I recognise.