longest day of the year

Summer solstice 2025 is here! Today marks the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere

The 2025 summer solstice takes place on June 20, heralding the onset of astronomical summer and the longest day of the year.

 Sunlovers rejoice, for the summer solstice is upon us, bringing the longest day of 2025 while heralding the beginning of astronomical summer in the northern hemisphere.

The summer solstice occurs because of a 23.5 degree tilt in Earth's rotational axis that may have arisen when an ancient Mars-sized body slammed into our planet billions of years ago, triggering the formation of our moon. The angle of this tilt is — to all intents and purposes — consistent all year round, and is currently fixed with the north celestial pole pointing close to Polaris, the current north star.

Thanks to this tilt, we experience the changing seasons, equinoxes and solstices — events that have been celebrated by cultures around the world for thousands of years. Some of humanity's most iconic ancient monuments like Stonehenge and the Mayan Chichén Itzá Pyramid were purpose built to align with these seasonal markers.

In the northern hemisphere the summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches its northernmost point relative to Earth's celestial equator (which is simply our planet’s regular equator projected out into space). Conversely, the winter solstice takes place when the sun is in its southernmost position relative to the celestial equator.

When is the Summer Solstice in 2025?

The 2025 summer solstice arrives at 10:42 p.m. EDT on June 20 (0242 GMT June 21). On this day, skywatchers across the northern hemisphere will enjoy the longest stretch of daylight all year. In New York, for example, the sun will spend more than 15 hours beating a path through the sky.

At the same time, those in the southern hemisphere will mark the winter solstice, which heralds the shortest day of 2025 below the equator. You can calculate exactly how much daylight you will experience in the days around the summer and winter solstices online using TimeandDate.com's daylight tracker.

NASA graphic showing the orientation of Earth’s tilt relative to the sun during the summer and winter solstices. (Image credit: NASA/Genna Duberstein)

Naturally this amount of sunlight makes it a challenging time of year for amateur astronomers, but that doesn't mean that the summer months aren't bursting with deep space targets and beautiful asterisms.

 Every year, the Earth celebrates the summer solstice on the longest day and shortest night of the year, which officially kicks off the summer season!

And this day actually occurs twice a year depending on its location: in the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice is usually celebrated on June 20th or 21st and, for the Southern Hemisphere, it usually falls on December 21st or 22nd.

Throughout its long history, aside from marking the changing of seasons, the summer solstice has also meant different things in different cultures, but all of them have mostly agreed that it signified a period of renewal, growth, and plentiness since it was tied to agriculture and good fortune in general.

How to Celebrate the Summer Solstice

There are many things to do to prepare for the arrival of the summer season. People can embrace the colors of the sun and dress in sun-themed clothing full of yellow, orange and gold. The same concept applies to food, so fruits and vegetables shaped or resembling the sun take the spotlight, such as oranges, lemons, mangoes, peaches, corn and tomatoes.

Host an Outdoor Feast

Gather friends and family for a picnic or barbecue in a local park or your backyard. Sharing a meal outdoors allows everyone to appreciate the extended daylight and warmth.

Incorporate seasonal produce into your dishes to highlight summer’s bounty. This communal dining fosters connection and gratitude for nature’s generosity.

Engage in Sun Salutations

Begin the day with a series of yoga sun salutations to honor the sun’s vitality. Practicing these poses outdoors enhances the experience, grounding you in the natural world. This ritual not only energizes the body but also cultivates mindfulness and a sense of harmony with the environment.
Create a Floral Crown

Crafting a flower crown using fresh blooms and greenery connects you to the earth’s beauty. Wear your creation throughout the day as a symbol of life’s flourishing. This activity invites creativity and provides a tangible reminder of nature’s vibrancy during the summer months.

Light a Bonfire

As evening approaches, gather around a bonfire with loved ones. The warmth and light of the fire mirror the sun’s energy, extending the day’s celebration into the night. Sharing stories, singing, or simply enjoying the fire’s glow fosters a sense of community and continuity with ancient traditions.

Explore the Great Outdoors

Take advantage of the long daylight hours by hiking, swimming, or simply walking in nature. Immersing yourself in the natural world during this time enhances your connection to the season’s rhythms. Observing the flourishing flora and fauna can inspire a deeper appreciation for the environment and its cycles.

And since the weather is nice to enjoy outdoor activities, everyone can attend music festivals and bonfires, full of dancing and singing, as well as spiritual gatherings and cultural events in honor of the solstice. Not to mention watching the sunrise, and even meditating!

Why is the Summer Solstice the Longest Day of the Year?

The summer solstice is a natural astronomical event that happens when the Earth’s axial tilt is at its maximum inclination toward the sun (at around 23.44 degrees). Because of this position, the sun takes longer to travel through the sky and, for the people on Earth, it appears to be at its highest point in the sky.

Since the sun spends more time traveling across the heavens, this means that the day lasts longer, and in turn the night is shorter. This is because the tilt of the Earth’s axis causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of sunlight as it orbits around the sun. The exact timing of the solstices can vary slightly from year to year due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun, but they generally occur around the same dates each year.

Likewise, as one hemisphere enters its summer months, the other is beginning the winter season, since the opposite pole is furthest away from the sun, therefore receiving less sunlight.

History of the Summer Solstice

Back to a time when there were no clocks or calendars, people from many cultures relied on the movements of the sun and the stars to keep track of time and calculate the beginning and the ending of the seasons. It was important to keep track of the skies and other astronomical events because they were useful to plan their daily lives around their crop cycles, such as harvest and planting seasons, as well as other economic and religious activities.

Some ancient cultures like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans considered the summer solstice as a time of fertility, abundance, and the renewal of life and celebrated it as such. For many of these cultures, the summer solstice was a day to pay tribute to the sun god or goddess in their religion’s pantheon.

Such was the case with the Greeks, who also considered the solstice as the start of their calendar year, would honor Cronus, the patron of agriculture, through the festival of Kronia, while the Romans marked the occasion with a festival dedicated to Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and home.

The ancient Egyptians, on the other hand, celebrated the solstice as the beginning of the Nile flood season, which was critical for agriculture in the region, and paid tribute to their sun god Ra.

The summer solstice is an important spiritual and cultural event in many indigenous cultures as well. Native American tribes in North America hold traditional ceremonies and dances during the summer solstice celebrations. Further to the south, the Inca people honored the sun god Inti with a 15-day festival called Inti Raymi, full of dances, ceremonies and sacrifices to the god.

In recent times, the summer solstice celebration became more commonly associated with magic, evil spirits and Paganism, while still keeping the tradition of worshiping the sun and doing bonfires and rituals to ensure good fortune.

conclusion 

The longest day of the year, known as the summer solstice, typically occurs around June 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the Earth's axial tilt is most inclined toward the sun, resulting in the greatest number of daylight hours for the year. The sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon, and in many places, the day can feel nearly endless with sunlight lasting well into the evening. The solstice has been celebrated by various cultures for thousands of years, often symbolizing growth, light, and renewal. Ancient monuments like Stonehenge in England are believed to have been aligned with the solstice sun, showing its historical and spiritual significance. Modern observances range from festivals and bonfires to quiet moments of reflection. While the solstice marks the beginning of summer, it also signals that daylight hours will slowly begin to shorten again until the winter solstice in December. Whether through science or tradition, the longest day of the year remains a powerful reminder of the Earth's rhythms and our connection to the natural world.