When is the longest day? What is the longest night of the year? The longest and shortest night of the year
The solstice is one of the two days of the year when the Sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator, i.e. when the height of the sun above the horizon at noon is minimum or maximum. This results in the longest day and shortest night ( summer solstice) in one hemisphere of the Earth and to the very short day and the longest night (winter solstice) in another.
Longest day of the year
The day of the summer solstice is the day of the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, that is, if the inhabitants of the Northern part of the Earth from this moment are at the beginning of astronomical summer, then for the inhabitants of the Southern Hemisphere astronomical winter will begin in the same period of time.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on June 20, 21 or 22. In the southern hemisphere, these dates fall winter solstice. Due to various inequalities in the movement of the Earth, the epochs of the solstice fluctuate by 1-2 days.
In 2017, astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere will begin on June 21 at 7.34 am Moscow time.
© Sputnik / Vladimir Sergeev
On the day of the summer solstice at the latitude of Moscow, the Sun rises above the horizon to a height of more than 57 degrees, and in territories located above the latitude of 66.5 degrees (the Arctic Circle), it does not set below the horizon at all, and the day lasts around the clock. At the North Pole of the Earth, the Sun moves across the sky at the same height around the clock. At the South Pole at this time there is a polar night.
During several adjacent days of the solstice, the noon heights of the Sun in the sky are almost unchanged; hence the name of the solstice. After the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the day begins to wane, and the night gradually begins to increase. In the southern hemisphere, the opposite is true. For thousands of years, the summer solstice was of great importance to our ancient ancestors, who were subject to the cycles of nature.
How did the Slavs celebrate the solstice?
In the old days, even before the advent of Christianity, the Kupala holiday, dedicated to the ancient pagan god Kupala, was timed to the day of the summer solstice.
On this day and night, they wove wreaths, drank surya (honey drink), jumped over fires, made sacrifices to water and fire, collected healing herbs, performed rituals that called for the harvest, and "cleansing the soul and body" ablutions in rivers, lakes and streams. The central place among the vegetation that night was occupied by a fern. It was believed that the fern flower, blooming only for a moment at midnight, would indicate exactly where the treasure was buried.
© Sputnik / Alexey Malgavko
The people said: "To Kupala - the Sun for the winter, and summer for the heat", "Whoever does not go to the Bathhouse - he will be a stump, and whoever goes to the Bathhouse - he will be a white birch."
The holiday has many names. Depending on the location and time, he was called Kupala, Kres (Old Russian), Ivan the Good, Lover, Ivan Kupala, Ivan the Herbalist, Yarilin Day (in the Yaroslavl and Tver provinces), Sontsecres (Ukrainian), Spirits Day (Bulgarian) and etc. In Ukraine, it is also known as Kupailo, in Belarus - Kupala.
With the adoption of Christianity, people did not reject the Kupala holiday, but, on the contrary, timed this day to coincide with the day of John the Baptist, which, according to the old style, falls on June 24th. But according to the new style of the calendar, the day of John the Baptist falls on July 7th. To date, the celebration does not correspond to the astronomical solar equinox.
How the solstice is celebrated in the West
The celebration of the summer solstice was present in all ancient pagan systems, many peoples still celebrate it, some in its original form, and some in a simplified one, leaving only the basic rituals and translating the ancient rituals of the ancestors into a bright holiday.
The summer solstice among all Celtic peoples was considered the time of fairies, elves and other supernatural beings. Among the Celtic peoples of Britain, the holiday was called Lita and was closely associated with the pagan cult of the sun.
© Sputnik / Egor Eremov
The Scandinavian and Baltic peoples splendidly celebrated the day and night of the summer solstice. Subsequently, these holidays in different countries received the name Ivan's day or Ivan's night (from the national version of the name Ivan).
In Latvia, the holiday is called Ligo or Janov's Day, it has state status and is celebrated on June 23 and 24, which are official holidays. In Estonia, it is also called Janov's Day, in Lithuania - Jonines (Jonines) or Rasos (Rasos, dew festival). In both countries, it is celebrated on June 24 and is public holiday and day off.
In Norway, the holiday named after John the Baptist is called Jonsok ("Midsummer Night"). Another name for the holiday - Jonsvaka (Jonsvoko) - is formed from the name Johan and the verb vake - "keep awake". It was believed that on Midsummer Night one could not sleep until dawn - not only because one could hear the singing of the elves, but first of all with the aim of a talisman for the whole coming year. Another name for the holiday, more "official" - Sankthansnatt or Sankthansaften (night of St. Hans).
Sputnik
Sailing yacht from Finland "Svanhild" at the "Days of the Sea" festival in the port of Vanasadam in Tallinn
In Sweden, the holiday is called Midsommar. Until 1953, it was celebrated on the same day that the Christian church celebrated the day of John the Baptist. But now the holiday usually falls on the penultimate Saturday of June, that is, it is usually celebrated from June 20 to 26. In Sweden, the celebration begins the day before, on Friday, which is also a public holiday.
In Finland, during pagan times, the holiday was called in honor of the God of Fire - Ukon juhla (Ukon juhla), but now it is called Juhannus (Juhannus) - an outdated pronunciation of the name of John the Baptist. Since 1954, Juhannus has been celebrated on the Saturday that falls between the 20th and 26th of June. Since 1934 this day has been official holiday- Day of the National Flag of the country.
Folk omens on the day of the summer solstice
On this day, it is customary to follow the signs, that's what the people paid attention to.
Bad weather at the summer solstice predicted crop failure and a poor year. It is believed that if the Sun hid behind clouds, the summer will be bad.
If there is a lot of dew in the morning - to a rich harvest. This dew was collected and poured into one vessel, it was considered healing. The same power was possessed by the water collected in the morning from wells and springs. They washed themselves with it on the same day and drank.
If there are a lot of stars in the sky, this is a mushroom summer.
© Sputnik / Konstantin Chalabov
Participants of the Novgorod Kupalle festival in Veliky Novgorod
It is believed that children born on the day of the summer solstice, June 21 or 22, have an evil eye, that is, they can jinx it. However, according to another sign, these people have good health and a happy fate, as they are under the protection of the sun.
It was considered a good omen on the day of the summer solstice to meet the dawn - this gives strength and health for the whole year and protects from troubles.
It is also believed that if you climb over 12 fences on this day, then your wish will come true within a year.
And in order to get rid of all diseases, you need to take a steam bath with a broom collected on that day.
The material is compiled from open sources.
Most a long day year is the summer solstice. It will be followed by the most short night in a year.
On this day, the height of the Sun's rise in the sky is the highest. This results in the longest daylight and shortest night in Earth's northern hemisphere, and the shortest day and longest night in the southern hemisphere.
It turns out that for the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere on this day astronomical summer begins, then in the southern hemisphere - astronomical winter.
The date of the summer solstice depends on shifts in the calendar and leap year. As a rule, it falls on June 21-22.
Solstice date from 2014 to 2020
- 2014 - June 21
- 2015 - June 21
- 2016 - June 20
- 2017 - June 21
- 2018 - June 21
- 2019 - June 21
- 2020 - June 20
The length of daylight hours on the longest day of the year at north latitude is about 17.5 o'clock. And the night usually lasts about 6 hours.
The holiday of the summer solstice was considered a special, magical day for the pagans. In ancient times, the Sun was deified, people believed that it has power over all living things. Therefore, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere meant the highest flowering of the forces of nature.
In Rus', long before the adoption of Christianity, this day was celebrated Ivan Kupala Day- early summer. Now Kupala is celebrated from July 6 to 7 in a new style, but the rites and folk traditions that day remained unchanged.
On the day of the summer solstice, people glorified the Sun, performed rituals for gaining well-being and health, burned fires, led round dances, organized noisy festivities, and collected field medicinal herbs. This day was ideal for divination and divination, so young girls did not miss the opportunity to find out their future and guessed for marriage.
On the night that followed the shortest day, it was not customary to sleep. First, this night is bright enough for sleep. Secondly, it was believed that falling asleep, you can incur troubles and troubles. People tried to spend these days and nights for the benefit of themselves - they performed rituals, rituals and fortune telling. Since this day is considered energetically strong, our ancestors used the forces of nature to attract prosperity and a good harvest. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
20.06.2015 09:11
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June 21 is the longest day of summer. On this day, the sun reaches its highest position in the sky, so the daylight hours last as long as possible, and the night is the shortest of the year.
For centuries, it was of great importance for our ancestors, who lived in harmony with Mother Nature and celebrated the holiday of the summer solstice on this day.
The longest day of summer is the summer solstice in the lunar calendar. In the northern hemisphere, it usually falls on June 21st. However, due to the leap year shift, the date of the solstice may differ in different years for 1-2 days. For example, in 2012, which is a leap year, the longest day of summer will be June 20th.
In astronomy, this day is considered date of the beginning of astronomical summer. Starting on December 21 or 22, the Sun rises higher and higher above the horizon every day, gradually increasing the length of the day. On the day of the summer solstice, it freezes at its maximum point, and then changes its movement and begins to move in the opposite direction. That is, after long day summer begins a gradual decrease in the duration of daylight hours, which lasts until December 21-22. And then all over again.
The longest day of summer: holidays
The longest day of summer is a day that has long been revered by our ancestors. On this day, the oldest European holidays were held - Lita, Kupala, Ivanov's Day and others. In pagan culture, this day was dedicated to the sun god Yarila. It was believed that at this moment there was a full flowering of the forces of nature, embodied in the abundance of the harvest.
Prepared for the holiday in the morning. The girls dressed up in beautiful dresses and adorned themselves with flowers and herbs to ward off evil spirits. And the guys chose a beautiful tree, which was decorated with flowers and shreds of fabric. At the foot, a doll with the image of Yarila, made of clay and straw, was installed. Festivities were organized around the tree, and the doll was burned, seeing off the Sun.
The Celts celebrated Litu on this day, arranging rituals, divination and entertainment. They also decorated themselves with herbs and wreaths of flowers, sang, danced, and in the evening "coaxed" fairies and elves. delicious food and lit fires. The Scandinavian, German and Baltic peoples celebrated Ivanov's day on the longest day. It was customary to kindle huge fires, jump over the fire, burn old boats and lower flowers into the water.
The shortest day of the year is December 21 or 22 (depending on the shift in the calendar). It has a special name - "Winter Solstice Day". This is the day of the shortest daylight hours (only 5 hours 53 minutes) and the longest night. From the next day, as you know, it begins to gradually increase. In scientific terms, this is due to the fact that the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation relative to the Sun takes on a maximum value.
In many cultures, this day has always been a significant event, always associated with rebirth. For example, in primitive culture, the beginning of the Solstice was not exactly a joyful day, it was more associated with the onset of hunger. Because primitive people did not really know how much stock they needed to prepare for times of cold weather. In the Early Middle Ages, this was a holiday, as beer and wine were mostly matured by mid-December.
Longest day of the year
The longest day of the year occurs on June 21 or 20. You have probably already noticed that it is light outside even at 23:00. True, then, as with the “winter”, daylight hours begin to slowly decrease, this becomes noticeable already in August.
In the modern world, the days of the winter and summer solstices are not a holiday, but a lot of traditions have survived to this day. For example, carols beloved by children were originally dedicated on December 20, only then they migrated to the post-Christmas weeks until Epiphany (January 19). In ancient Egypt, the priests attached great importance to the summer solstice. In Russia, the holiday is better known as Ivan Kupala Day, when the celebrants bathe, jump over bonfires, guess and look for fern branches (which, according to legend, bloom on this particular holiday).
It is difficult to observe the solstice due to the fact that the sun is slowly moving towards its point. Only very recently have scientists begun to determine the exact time of an event down to the instant.
Since ancient times, people have believed that at this time you can attract many positive changes in your life in terms of material wealth and well-being.
After reading this article, you can find out what is the longest and shortest night of the year.
People of many nationalities believed in the unusual mystical power of the solstice time. This magical period, according to many, is characterized by the incredible strength of its energy and is marked by the longest night.
Before we know which night is the longest of the year, let us briefly consider what this time represented for people who lived in former ages.
General information from history
In Rus', since the 18th century, a rather interesting rite has been associated with this day (winter solstice). The elder of the bell-ringers of the Moscow cathedral, who was in charge of the clock, came to bow to the tsar. On this day, he reported to the ruler that the sun had turned to the summer, the day was slowly beginning to increase, and the night was going to decrease. The king, in turn, rewarded the headman with money for such good news.
December 22 can be called the New Year, but natural. Sun at 9:11 p.m. December 21, Moscow time, falls as much as possible into the southern hemisphere, thus, astronomical winter sets in. At the latitude of Moscow, the day length is 6 hours 56 minutes.
Quite a long dark from 21 to 22 December. The sun sets the lowest after just such a night - on the day of the winter solstice. It is also called the solstice.
In everyday life, this phenomenon is imperceptible to people, but it is perfectly demonstrated in special images taken by astronomers. The sun is photographed at the same time all year round, then all the pictures are combined into a single image. It shows an analemma - a bizarre trajectory of a change in the location of a star in the sky. It represents the shape of a figure eight, on which the very edge of the lower loop corresponds to the solstice. So, the longest night is from December 21 to 22.
After this "New Year" the day gradually begins to increase until it is equal in duration to the night, and this is the day of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20th. Then (June 21) comes the summer solstice, when the day is the longest, but the night is the shortest.
Most fun night
The longest night of the year (the number is given above) is also the most fun for many peoples.
The ancient peoples of Great Britain many centuries ago tried to joke a lot, laugh and have fun on this night. People believed that the problems voiced in the form of jokes that night would definitely be positively resolved soon. They were sure that the more fun during this period, the more successful the coming year will be.
On the mystical power of a significant period
The longest night of the year in the view of many peoples has mystical power. It has long been believed that the solstice is a significant day. During this period, there is a revival of all the brightest, and the subsequent addition of hours of daylight hours marks the victory of light over darkness.
The meeting of this significant time always took place in a special way: folk holidays were timed to coincide with it. The Celts, for example, during this period celebrated Yule (analogous to the New Year). Slavic peoples on the day of the solstice revered Karachun (the deity of cold and darkness, the lord of winter).
According to the beliefs of the Slavs, on this night, darkness conquers light, and with the advent of a new morning, everything ends happily. With the victory of light comes the renewal of the world, victory triumphs over evil.
In cultures different peoples the time of the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) was considered the most favorable for various rituals and rituals. Many of them, which came from antiquity, can be applied now, since the strength of the longest night of the year has not diminished over time, and people, as before, always have a desire to change themselves and their lives for the better.
The energy of the transition from darkness to light (renewal) helps to get rid of everything unnecessary and attract the desired.
Ritual for getting rid of problems
When the longest night of the year passes, it becomes possible to experience the beneficial effects of the solstice for yourself.
Rites are especially effective at such a time (energetically saturated) as the day of the solstice. You should take advantage of this opportunity, because such a period happens only 2 times a year.
The ritual for getting rid of various problems is especially relevant, due to the fact that the solstice occurs almost before the New Year. Everyone wants to go to new stage life, leaving failures and difficulties behind. And it is precisely such a period that can help in this: the energy message sent to the Universe during the ritual is reliable means in problem solving.
It is necessary to carry out the ceremony in solitude, after the sun has gone beyond the horizon. What is it? You should light a candle and, peering into the fire, think about the troubles and problems that interfere with life and which you want to get rid of. At the same time, say the following words: “I drive away darkness with fire, I save myself from oppression. The night will pass - it will take away my problems with it. As the day increases, my life will be filled with happiness. To be this."
After these words, the candle should burn for some time in a safe place, and before going to bed it should be extinguished and the ritual completed with the following words: "Let everything that you wish come true."
Conclusion
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