Summer Solstice 2021: All you need to know about the first day of summer

New Delhi, June 19: Summer Solstice 2021 falls on Monday June 21. It's time to celebrate the longest day of the year.

On this day, people from various party of the globe organise calendars and farmers marked the day with sowing or harvesting of crops.

"In ancient China, the Summer Solstice was observed by a ceremony to celebrate the Earth, femininity, and the 'yin' forces. It complemented the Winter Solstice that celebrated the heavens, masculinity and 'yang' forces," according to the timeanddate.com.

In Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland, Summer Solstice is a time of midsummer night festivities. Traditions include bonfires, cookouts, sauna and spending time together with friends or family.

What is Summer Solstice or June Solstice

The term Solstice is derived from two Latin words sol, meaning sun, and sistere, which means to stand still. This astronomical event usually occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the earth's axis is most inclined towards or away from the sun.

This causes the sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme, so the Northern Hemisphere points directly towards the sun while the Southern Hemisphere points directly opposite the sun.

This results in the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere, and, at the same time, it's the longest night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Generally, the summer solstice occurs between June 20 and 22 every year.

Summer Solstice is also called as Midsummer, First Day of Summer, June solstice in the Northern Hemisphere) and the longest day of the year. It occurs in the Northern Hemisphere between June 20-22 and once in the Southern Hemisphere between Dec 20-23.