Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice takes place in the UK on 21 June this year at 11.28am. It is celebrated widely around the world at the point when the sun is at it’s highest in the sky and the days are at their longest.

Most of the traditions connected with the Summer Solstice involve dancing, music, fires and storytelling. Herbs and scented flowers were sometimes collected the night before the Summer Solstice and could be used in the festivities.

A lovely summer pot pourri can be made from:

5 drops of lavender oil;
10 drops geranium oil;
5 Earl Grey Teabags;
Lemon Verbena or Thyme (dried);
Lavender;
Dried rose petals;
Some dried Sage or Rosemary 
A few dried slices of lemon, orange or lime. 

Mix it all together and scent your rooms for the Summer Solstice.

Interestingly Midsummer Day is not the same as the Summer Solstice.  The first falls on June 24 and is a “Quarter Day” in the Legal Calendar, whereas the Solstice is an astronomical event.