Summer Solstice Festival Crafts and Activity Ideas Around the World
/The Summer Solstice, Thursday, June 20, 2024, celebrates the longest day of the year and marks the beginning of the summer. Engage in traditional Summer Solstice festivities by creating flower crowns using colorful blooms and greenery. Make sun catchers by painting mason jar lids with bright colors and hanging them outdoors to capture the sunlight. Have a bonfire in the evening and make s'mores while sharing stories. Create paper lanterns to light up the night sky and celebrate the arrival of summer. Host a potluck with seasonal fruits and refreshing drinks to enjoy the longest day of the year with friends and family.
Iceland: Watch the Sunrise and Sunset
Besides Iceland’s Secret Solstice Music Festival (secretsolstice.is) and the famous Midnight Sun half-marathon it is the ritual of standing over the ocean in Iceland during the Summer Solstice to watch the sun set and rise within minutes that visitors from around the world flock to experience.
England: Create a Nature Smudge Stick
This craft is inspired by the Pagan’s who cast love spells at Stonehenge on this night. Gather scented flowers, herbs and greens on a nature walk, slip the names of those you love on a piece of paper inside and wrap it together with long grass or twine.
India: Yoga Outside
Thousands of yogis gather in India on the Summer Solstice to salute the sun. The day also represents a spirit of peace, goodwill, strength, happiness, love, forgiveness towards others and yourself. Get outside and energized about moving your body where ever you are.
Sweden: Make a Flower Crown
Sweden’s Midsummer celebration is the biggest holiday after Christmas in the country. The weekend is celebrated by making flower crowns, dancing around a maypole and singing songs to usher in the Summer Solstice. Begin by taking your floral wire (or what ever material you have to create a base) and shaping it around your head to fit and weave your flowers into it.
Astronomy enthusiasts head to Croatia to enjoy a unique night of stargazing experiences with a balance of science and spirituality highlighted by music, dances and performances. You can enjoy stargazing one of China Camp Point’s bayside bluffs, partake in our full moon summer solstice celebration. Telescope will give an up-close look at June’s “Strawberry Moon,” so called because it occurs during the height of berry season, as it emerges over the East Bay hills. Docents will share fascinating facts about celestial science and cultural significance of the moon. Enjoy fixings for two of summertime’s signature treats: s’more “moon pies” and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Latvia:
Pack a Picnic and Have a Scavenger Hunt
Jāņi is celebrated in nature, making garlands of oak leaves or wild flowers, going to the sauna and devouring copious amounts of food as celebrations last all day and night! Pack a picnic with your family. Sit quietly and listen for wildlife. Create a nature scavenger hunt for the fern flower. It is said that this night is the only time of the year when one can see the elusive fern flower.
Art in the Park: Summer Solstice Celebration
Come and join the fun as we celebrate the longest day of the year with your loved ones! We will craft fairy and gnome houses from natural materials around the park. Get creative and get your hands dirty to build a miniature house to take home. Suitable for ages 3 and above. We'll provide all supplies, snacks, and water. Friendly dogs are okay but must be on a leash. Adverse weather or poor air quality may cancel; if in doubt, text or call (415) 720-7759 two hours before the event to confirm the status.
The Rhythms of Summer: From the Solstice to Steel Drums
Sunday, June 23, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Lawrence Hall of Science, Feel the warmth of the sun and sand between your toes at our outdoor science party! Learn about the longest day of sunshine and enjoy a steel drum performance by the Dans of Steel with special guests. Ohlone educators will teach you how to make and float tule boats on the pond. Flex your creativity by creating sand sculptures, and learn from a Planetarium educator all about the summer solstice!
Just have fun what ever you decide to do to celebrate the longest day of the year! Start planning now and Happy Summer Solstice!
