solstice
Longest or shortest
A solstice is either of the two moments each year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marking the longest and shortest days.
The summer solstice (around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere) has the most daylight; the winter solstice (around December 21) has the least.
We celebrated the solstice with a bonfire.
The solstices have long held cultural and religious significance, marking seasonal turning points.
Sun crosses celestial midline
- eclipticSun's apparent annual path
- celestialOf the sky above
- declinationAngular distance from equator
- axisRotation reference line
orbit · rotation · zenith · aphelion · perihelion · tropic · latitude · elongation
Maximum daylight occurrence
Organized public celebration
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- midsummerPeak of warm months
- bonfireLarge outdoor fire
- feastElaborate ceremonial meal
ceremony · tradition · gathering · ancestral · harvest · revelry · midwinter
Year's minimum daylight
- longest nightMaximum darkness period yearly
- frostThin ice coating
- darknessTotal absence of light
- northernToward the top
Occurring every year
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- turning pointDecisive moment of change
- recurrenceReturn of something previous
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
progression · phase · periodicity · circuit · cardinal point
Ancient Celtic priest-scholar
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
- altarSacred ritual table
- witchcraftPractice of supernatural magic
- CelticOf Irish-Welsh descent
heathen · polytheism · animism · divination · mysticism · neopagan · wheel of the year · standing stones
equinox
Sun crosses celestial midline
- eclipticSun's apparent annual path
- celestialOf the sky above
- declinationAngular distance from equator
axis · orbit · rotation · zenith · aphelion · perihelion · tropic · latitude · elongation · astronomical
longest day
Maximum daylight occurrence
festival
Organized public celebration
feast · ceremony · tradition · gathering · ancestral · harvest · revelry · midwinter
shortest day
Year's minimum daylight
- longest nightMaximum darkness period yearly
- frostThin ice coating
- darknessTotal absence of light
northern · polar night · hibernation · midwinter · rebirth
annual
Occurring every year
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- turning pointDecisive moment of change
- recurrenceReturn of something previous
rhythm · progression · phase · periodicity · circuit · cardinal point
druid
Ancient Celtic priest-scholar
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
- altarSacred ritual table
- witchcraftPractice of supernatural magic
Celtic · heathen · polytheism · animism · divination · mysticism · neopagan · wheel of the year · standing stones · sun worship
- astronomy termseclipse, lunar eclipse, star, meteor shower, galaxy
- Midsummermidsummer, midsommar, longest day, midsummer eve, midnight sun
- European Mysticismpaganism, Wicca, druidry, witchcraft, esotericism
- Egyptian astronomySirius, star maps, Nut, Orion, lunar calendar
- Islamic Astronomyastrolabe, star catalog, observatory, House of Wisdom, celestial globe
- eventsevent, events, party, parties, wedding
solsticeequinox
Sun crosses celestial midline
vernal equinox · autumnal equinox · spring equinox · fall equinox · March equinox
- winter solsticeShortest day, longest night
- summer solsticeLongest daylight of year
- solstice ceremoniesRituals at peak daylight
- December solsticeYear's shortest daylight period
- solstice celebrationsEvents marking astronomical extremes
- June solsticeYear's longest day