Summer Solstice Celebrations 2009

Japan- Candle Night “Plastic cups with candles in are set during the Candle Night campaign to call for saving electricity with the lights off in Roppongi in Tokyo, capital of Japan, June 21, 2009.”

Pagans- Stonehenge “There was a carnival atmosphere as pagans, Morris dancers and others gathered at the ancient stone landmark on Salisbury Plain to celebrate the longest day of the year”

Iceland- Hikes “It was an amazing experience. We witnessed how tranquillity passed over everything at midnight and then how the country awoke from a slumber when the sun rose again in a magnificent symphony of colours in the Earth’s palette,” described Páll Gudmundsson, one of the guides.

Native America- Sunrise Ceremony “A group in Greeneville stayed up all night tending a fire and connecting with nature, preparing for the sunrise that started this longest day of the year. At dawn, the group shared in a spiritual Native American ceremony to usher in the new season.”

Sweden- Midsummer “In 1952 the Swedish Parliament decided that Midsummer should always be celebrated on a weekend. As a result, the observance of Midsummer now varies between June 20 and 26”

China- Earth Hour “There is a deep understanding in Chinese tradition of nature’s predictable cycle. The understanding of nature’s cycle could be applied to many things: not just the seasons or the growth of plants, but also, for example, relationships, one’s work, the development of a child, emotions, the progress of a disease, a life in its totality.” Colourful illuminations at main buildings in several Chinese big cities were switched off for hours on the Summer Solstice, to save energy.