Nine Ways People Celebrate the Summer Solstice Around the World | Travel

Long before we could use astronomy apps on our smartphones, the ancients closely followed the position of the sun in the sky. Thousands of years ago, many monuments and structures around the world were designed with the annual cycles of the sun in mind, and some even align in special ways on the solstices and equinoxes.

During this year’s summer solstice, on June 21, the Earth will be tilted toward the sun at its most extreme angle, with the sun directly over the Tropic of Cancer, at 23.5 degrees north latitude. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will experience the maximum intensity of the sun’s rays and the most hours of sunlight of the entire year.

In some parts of the world, people blend pagan and Christian traditions to celebrate Midsummer in conjunction with Saint John the Baptist’s birthday on June 24, which can include bonfires, barefoot walks and more. Others recognize the longest day of the year with such traditions as baseball games, polar plunges and visits to prehistoric monuments. Let us count the varied ways that people celebrate the solstice.

Dance around a maypole in Sweden

Dancing the Sma Grodorna (“The Little Frogs”) dance around a maypole decorated with flowers and leaves, while wearing flower wreaths, is a traditional way to celebrate Midsommar, an official holiday in Sweden. Revelers dress in traditional costumes (long, flowy skirts and aprons for women and trousers with long socks for men, with differences by region), dance and play games at large parties. Family games (called femkamp) include sack races, croquet and kubb, which involves tossing sticks to knock down a collection of wooden blocks.

Locals enjoy pickled herring and boiled potatoes with dill, along with salmon and meats. Dessert involves sweet strawberries with cream or ice cream, or in a cake, and aquavit liquor is drunk to the singing of “Helan Gar,” a popular drinking tune.

It’s a time full of magic and superstition. Some Swedes walk barefoot in the dew, believing it will improve…