SUMMER SOLSTICE

What is the Summer Solstice?

The Summer solstice, also called 'Litha', marks the first day of the season of summer. It falls on or near 21 June.It's the time when the sun reaches its northern most latitude and therefore appear at its highest in the sky at noon. At this time of year we have the longest day.

On this day you can see a very old custom at Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England.

What is Stonehenge?

Stonehenge is one of Europe's biggest stone circles. A lot of stones are ten or twelve metres high. The earliest part of Stonehenge is nearly 5,000 years old. It is thought that the Druids used Stonehenge for a calendar.

Who are/were Druids?

The Druids were the priests in Britain 2,000 years ago. They used the sun and the stones at Stonehenge to know the start of the months and seasons. There are Druids in Britain today too.

What happens at Stonehenge on June 21st?

- the Longest Day of the Year

Every June 21st hundreds of people go to Stonehenge to watch the sun rise. The sun shines on one famous stone - the Heel stone. For the Druids this is a very important moment of the year.