As you know, the sun rises in winter and summer at different time, which causes the length of the day to change. Summer has the longest days, and it will be the same in 2017.
This phenomenon is called the summer solstice. This length daylight hours This is explained by the fact that the sun rises as high as possible, due to which dawn is very early and sunset is late.
The longest day and shortest night are observed in the northern hemisphere, while in the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the day is short at this time.
The summer solstice does not occur on the same day; the date can shift, although it always happens in the second half of June. The offensive itself have a long day depends on the shift in the calendar, and whether it is a regular year or a leap year.
Thus, in 2017 the longest day will be June 21. The night will last approximately 6 hours, and daylight will last 17.5 hours.
Signs and celebration of the solstice
For different peoples this day was sacred. The pagans considered the sun a deity and worshiped it. Warmth and harvest depend on the sun, which is why people revered it so much. During this period, nature flourished to its maximum and began to bear the first harvest.
In Rus', Ivan Kupala was celebrated at this time, but now, after the calendar shift, it has been moved to July.
In a day summer solstice people performed various rituals glorifying the sun and promoting the growth of crops.
Historians say that they knew about the solstice back in Ancient Egypt, even the pyramids were built in accordance with the location of the luminary. It is said that a structure such as Stonehenge is associated with the movement and determination of the sun. For pagans, this holiday is no less important; they celebrate it to this day. Success in many areas of life, as well as health, depends on what rituals were performed on this day.
With the development of civilization, the sun ceased to be perceived as a deity; rather, it became the definition of the season. However, some peoples and individual religions still honor the longest day as the most important day of the year. Some countries still celebrate this day, organizing colorful celebrations with rituals of lighting a fire and bathing in water.
Celtic beliefs
The Celts had a holiday called Litha - it was midsummer. At the festival in honor of this holiday, various rituals took place: divination, wedding, communication with spirits and others. Houses were necessarily decorated, for which fragrant and medicinal herbs and white lilies were used. It was believed that the smell of herbs drove away evil spirits. When evening came, bonfires were lit, torchlight processions and fire jumping were held. The coals from the fire lit for this holiday were saved to perform various rituals. The name of the honeymoon is also associated with this period, because the first honey is collected in June. At this time, weddings were celebrated, after which a new addition to the family was expected. 
Germanic and Scandinavian traditions
This day was celebrated by both Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. The holiday is called Midsummer Day, and it is similar to the traditions of Lita. People greeted the Sun, blessed the future harvest and asked that it be abundant. High fires were lit, jumping over fire was performed, as well as rituals associated with water. The holiday took place until dawn; going to bed that night was considered wrong.
Traditions of Ancient Rus' on Solstice Day
The celebration of the longest day in Ancient Rus' was no less interesting. It started within a week. During these seven days, spirits were honored, ancestors were remembered, and the ashes of dead warriors were scattered over the river. On the very day of the solstice, the holiday of Kupala was celebrated, it meant the end of spring and the beginning of summer. The rituals of the celebration were in many ways similar to the traditions of previous peoples: bonfires were lit, people jumped over them, they wove wreaths and floated them on water, performed ablutions, called upon spirits and asked for a high harvest this year.
After the solstice, the ancient Slavs celebrated the solstice and revered the god Perun, who was one of the most important gods among the Slavs.
Modern traditions
Now the longest day does not have the same meaning as it had for our ancestors, but even in 2017 it can be celebrated as have an interesting holiday. Adherents of paganism carry out their own rituals glorifying nature to this day, although they are no longer observed on such a scale as our ancestors did. Ordinary people also enjoy participating in interesting activities.
When are the shortest and longest nights of the year? The answer to this question is simple and has been known to many since ancient times.
The longest day of daylight (it is also accompanied by the shortest night of the year) and the shortest have their own scientific name and are designated by the term “solstice”.
It has long been of no small importance in the annual time cycle. Due to the fact that they have always controlled the way of life of people, many peoples in their own cultures have developed traditional customs, rituals and holidays associated with such days.
In modern life, the duration of the solstice (summer and winter) can be calculated with an accuracy of one minute several years in advance.
When is the shortest night of the year? You can learn about the traditions, rituals associated with such specific astrological phenomena (solstice and the shortest night), as well as the dates themselves, from this article.
Types of solstice, traditions
During the solstices, planet Earth experiences the longest and shortest daylight hours.
In winter, the solstice occurs on December 21 or 22. The length of the daylight hours is 5 hours 53 minutes. And, of course, the longest night falls on the same date. Then the length of the day begins to increase.
On one of three days, from June 20 to 22, the summer solstice is observed (the shortest night of the year also occurs), lasting 17 hours 33 minutes. After this, there is a gradual shortening of the daylight hours and lengthening of the night period.
Various interesting traditions are associated with the above natural events. In former times in Russia and in some of the neighboring countries it was popular. It was dedicated to himself short day and was dedicated to Christmastide and Christmas.
According to historians, even the ancient Egyptians, who built giant pyramids, once knew about the longest day. This is evidenced by the fact that the highest of them are located so that the sun set on this day precisely between them (this phenomenon becomes visible if you look at these buildings from the side of the Sphinx).
What happens during the longest and shortest days of the year?
All people notice that with the arrival of spring, the sun appears higher and higher above the horizon at noon and every day it leaves the sky later in the evening. At the beginning of summer it reaches its highest point - this is the summer solstice.
The date of this phenomenon depends on the year (whether it is a leap year or not).
The summer solstice occurs on June 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, and on June 21 - if there are 365 days in a year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the longest day in a leap year is December 22, and December 21 in a normal year.
What date is the shortest night? The answer is simple. It comes after the solstice.
Ivan Kupala Day
According to ancient Slavic beliefs, this is a magical time: the powers of all useful plants increase many times over, and destined girls are shown in dreams and visions.
Before this time, swimming was prohibited. It was believed that devils were sitting in the waters. And during the summer period, they left the water until the very beginning of August.
But the time came when these pagan traditions were supplanted by Christian ones, and this ancient holiday received a different name - the day of John the Baptist. But since John baptized by immersion in water, it began to be called the day of Ivan Kupala (this is the shortest night in the summer). This holiday has taken root well and has reached the present day.
The night of Ivan Kupala is considered magical by the Slavs. On this night, people tell fortunes, jump over the fire (purification by fire occurs), and collect medicinal herbs. Mass bathing is considered an important attribute on this day.
So, how long is the shortest night of the year? 6 hours 26 minutes.
According to the old calendar, the day of the summer solstice and the famous day of Ivan Kupala coincided, but now (according to the new style) this holiday has moved to July 7.
Winter solstice celebration
The day gradually begins to decrease after the summer solstice. Slowly the Sun reaches its lowest point of rise.
The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere occurs on December 21 or 22 (depending on the year), and in the southern hemisphere, respectively, on June 20 or 21. And again, after the longest night, the countdown begins.
Even in ancient times, it was celebrated before a long winter, people slaughtered all the livestock and had a feast. Then this day received the following meaning - the awakening of life.
This holiday is the largest and most famous among the Germanic peoples - the medieval Yule. On the night, after which the light gradually rose higher and higher, they burned fires in the fields, blessed plants (trees) and crops, and brewed cider.
And the shortest night of the year, accordingly, comes six months after these events.
In today's world, these significant dates are not as important as they used to be for our ancestors. However, modern pagans continue to consider them holidays and certainly celebrate them, as was customary in the old days.
Since ancient times, people have believed that at this time they can attract many positive changes into their lives in terms of material wealth and well-being.
After reading this article, you can find out what the longest and shortest night of the year is.
People of many nationalities believed in the unusual mystical power of the solstice. This magical period, according to many, is characterized by the incredible strength of its energy and is marked by the longest night.
Before we find out which night is the longest of the year, let's take a brief look at what this time represented for people who lived in previous centuries.
General information from history
In Rus', since the 18th century, a rather interesting ritual has been associated with this day (winter solstice). The head of the Moscow Cathedral bell ringers, who was responsible for striking the clock, came to bow to the Tsar. On this day, he reported to the ruler that the sun had turned for summer, the day was slowly beginning to increase, and the night was decreasing. The king, in turn, rewarded the elder with money for such good news.
December 22 can be called New Year, but natural. Sun at 21 hours 11 minutes. Moscow time on December 21, it descends to its maximum in the southern hemisphere, thus astronomical winter begins. At the latitude of Moscow, the length of daylight hours is 6 hours 56 minutes.
It is dark for quite a long time from December 21 to 22. The Sun sets lowest after such a night - on the day of the winter solstice. It is also called the solstice.
In everyday life, this phenomenon is invisible to people, but it is perfectly demonstrated in special photographs taken by astronomers. The sun is photographed at the same time all year round, then all the pictures are combined into one image. It shows an analemma - a bizarre trajectory of changes in the location of the star in the sky. It is in the shape of a figure eight, in 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 length to the night, and this is the day of the vernal equinox, which occurs on March 20. Then (June 21) comes the summer solstice, when the day becomes the longest, but the night is shortest.
The most fun night
The longest night of the year (the number is presented above) for many peoples is also the most fun.
The ancient peoples of Great Britain, many centuries ago, tried to joke, laugh and have fun a lot on this night. People believed that the problems voiced in the form of jokes that night would definitely be resolved positively soon. They were sure that the more fun they had during this period, the luckier the coming year would be.
About the mystical power of a significant period
The longest night of the year, in the minds of many peoples, has mystical powers. It has long been believed that the solstice is a significant day. During this period, there is a revival of all that is bright, and the subsequent addition of hours of daylight marks the victory of light over darkness.
This significant time was always celebrated in a special way: folk holidays were timed to coincide with it. The Celts, for example, celebrated Yule (analogous to the New Year) during this period. On the day of the solstice, the Slavic peoples revered Karachun (the deity of cold and darkness, the lord of winter).
According to Slavic beliefs, on this night darkness conquers light, and with the arrival of a new morning everything ends happily. With the victory of light comes the renewal of the world, victory triumphs over evil.
In the cultures of different nations, the time of the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) was considered the most favorable for performing various rituals and ceremonies. Many of them, which came from antiquity, can be applied now, since the power of the longest night of the year has not diminished over time, and people, as before, always have the 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 what you want.
Ritual to get rid of problems
When the longest night of the year passes, it becomes possible to experience the beneficial effects of the solstice for yourself.
Rituals are celebrated with particular effectiveness at such a time (energy-saturated) as the solstice day. You should take advantage of this opportunity, because such a period occurs 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 move into a new stage of life, leaving failures and difficulties behind. And it is precisely this period that can help in this: the energy message sent to the Universe during the ritual is a reliable means of solving problems.
The ritual must be performed in solitude, after the Sun goes below the horizon. What is it? You should light a candle and, peering into the fire, think about the troubles and problems that interfere with your life and that you want to get rid of. At the same time, say the following words: “I drive away the darkness with fire, I rid myself of oppression. The night will pass and it will take 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 in the following words: “May everything you wish come true.”
Conclusion
December 22 is such a long night! It can help you do many important things: meet, make peace, think and make wishes, analyze the past and think about the future...
Undoubtedly, each of us at least once was interested in the question of which Answer has long been known and does not require any evidence. This phenomenon in science is called the winter solstice. This is the time when the minimum is at noon.
Winter solstice occurs exclusively on planets
December 21 and sometimes December 22. Such a day is only five hours and another fifty-three minutes long, after which it gradually begins to grow.
The shortest day of the year was noticed a long time ago. It was on this day that the future harvest was judged: frost on the trees meant there would be a rich harvest. In Rus', on the day of the solstice, a rather interesting ritual was performed. The man who was responsible for striking the monastery clock came to bow to the king. He notified the bishop that from that moment the sun was turning to summer and, naturally, the day was increasing and the length of the night was shortening. For such good news, the king gave money.
When the shortest day of the year was celebrated by the ancient Slavs, they
stripped of their clothes New Year according to pagan rites. The main attribute of the celebration was a ritual bonfire, which depicted the sun and invoked its light.
In ancient China, residents believed that it was on the shortest day of the year that a new cycle began. Therefore, this time was considered the happiest, it definitely needed to be celebrated. Emperors for ceremonial and important rituals sacrifices to Heaven traveled outside the city, and simple people sacrificed to their ancestors.
Nowadays, some people also take the winter solstice seriously. On the shortest day of the year, it is advisable to limit yourself in communicating with unpleasant people and not engage in everyday burdensome matters. It is best to devote this day to entertainment, spend it with people dear to your heart in order to strengthen your relationships.
Solstice Day in winter is a natural New Year. The days before this period are the best for changing your destiny and rebirth. Our ancestors attached special importance to this time. It was believed that three days before and after the solstice are time charged strong energy. It is these days that you need to free yourself from everything unnecessary, old, useless in life, character, your home and even in your soul. We need to put things in order, “clean up” and make room for new important things and achievements that will definitely happen in the New Year.
After reading the article, you will not only learn about which day is the shortest, but also what is important to do at this time to change your life.
Everything is very important on this day
honor the awakening of the sun and congratulate him on his new birth. It is impossible to find a more favorable period for making plans for the next year, making a wish and dreaming about a bright future. And thanks to the natural rhythms of Mother Nature, all this will acquire special power.
The main thing on this day is the understanding that a new revolution is beginning. This is an unusual day, and you cannot live it like everyone else. If you put a little more effort into it and allow your creativity to manifest itself, then boundless happiness and joy of life will certainly appear in your soul.
The longest day of the year is the summer solstice. It will be followed by the shortest night of the year.
On this day, the height of the Sun in the sky is the highest. This results in the longest daylight hours and the longest short night in the northern hemisphere of the Earth and the shortest day and longest night in the southern hemisphere.
It turns out that for residents of the northern hemisphere, astronomical summer begins on this day, while for residents of the southern hemisphere, astronomical winter begins.
The date of the summer solstice depends on calendar shifts and leap years. 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 in northern latitude is about 17.5 hours. And the night, as a rule, lasts approximately 6 hours.
The summer solstice holiday was considered a special, magical day for pagans. In ancient times, the Sun was deified; people believed that it had 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 according to the new style, but rituals and folk traditions this day remained unchanged.
On the day of the summer solstice, people glorified the Sun, performed rituals to gain well-being and health, burned bonfires, danced in circles, held noisy celebrations, and collected field medicinal herbs. This day was ideal for fortune telling and divination, so young girls did not miss the opportunity to find out their future and wondered about marriage.
On the night that followed the shortest day, it was not customary to sleep. Firstly, this night is light enough to sleep. Secondly, it was believed that by falling asleep, one could bring upon oneself troubles and misfortunes. People tried to spend this day and night with benefit for themselves - they performed rituals, ceremonies and told fortunes. Since this day is considered energetically strong, our ancestors used the forces of nature to attract prosperity and a good harvest. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
20.06.2015 09:11
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