Summer is here! On Thursday, the sun will reach its northernmost point in our sky and will momentarily appear to stand still.

Sun standstill is the root of the word, solstice. Each day, the time of light has lengthened in the Northern Hemisphere until this pivotal moment when we experience the year’s longest hours of daylight.

Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt angles the North Pole toward the sun. The apparent path of the sun will appear to pause before the southward journey begins, and we celebrate the astronomical start to summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, winter begins.

If your festivities include firing up the grill, you’re joining in a long tradition of solstice bonfires dating back to the Middle Ages. The ritual intended to add strength to the sun in the hope of bringing a good growing season and harvest.

The next day, June 21, the full moon’s light will gleam in the briefer nighttime hours. In North America, June’s full moon is dubbed the “strawberry moon.” In Europe this moon is often called the mead moon or the honey moon.

The month of June honors the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. It’s a popular time for marriages. It also was harvesting time for honey in medieval times. A “honeymoon” often follows a marriage, and the term may be entwined with this alternative moon nickname.

First Published: June 18, 2024, 9:30 a.m.