Explained to the point
Summer solstice and beginning of summer – the longest day of the year
Sunset in front of Helgoland – the summer solstice brings with it the longest day of the year
© McPHOTO / Picture Alliance
At the summer solstice it is light longer than at any other time of the year. In addition, the calendar summer begins on June 21st.
Solstice celebrations are among the oldest customs in the world. Especially in the Nordic countries and Scandinavia, Midsummer Eve traditions have remained alive.
The day of the summer solstice is the astronomical and calendar beginning of summer. In the northern hemisphere, the warmest season of the year begins on June 21st. The sun reaches its most northerly point above the earth and its highest point of the year at noon.
At the summer solstice, Scandinavians celebrate Midsummer
It’s the longest day and shortest night in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere it is the opposite. However, there are clear differences from north to south in Germany. The time span between sunrise and sunset ranges from around 16 hours in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria to 17 hours and 20 minutes in Flensburg on the Danish border.
In Scandinavia, on the other hand, it is not getting completely dark these days. In these countries, many people celebrate the so-called midsummer festival. The bright nights are also called “White Night” or Midsummer Night.
thousands of visitors
Hippies, sunbathers and druids celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge
See our archive: Around 6000 people, including self-proclaimed druids, sun worshipers and hippies, celebrated the summer solstice in June 2022 at the prehistoric cult site of Stonehenge.