Festival facts: Midsummer Day

Stonehenge

What is Midsummer Day

Midsummer Day is celebrated on 24 June each year, and is often the culmination of a series of festivities celebrating the summer solstice and the power and importance of the sun. The solstice is the time when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator. This is celebrated as the longest day, when the summer has reached its height, and it is the turning point after which the days begin to get shorter. Although this is not strictly accurate, it remains the day of focus.