Festivals + Holidays
The days have been getting longer since 22 December, reaching their crescendo today, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re south of the Equator, however, it’s the shortest day of the year.
Today is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
A solstice usually falls on around 21 June or 22 December. It is either the longest or the shortest day of the year – depending on which hemisphere you live in.
From now on in, the days are going to start getting shorter – or longer – until we reach the Spring or Autumnal Equinox, after which the process reverses itself until the next solstice is reached.
Many important religious or cultural feasts, festivals, and holidays are celebrated on or near these 4 dates in various societies around the world.