Embracing the Light: Celebrating the Summer Solstice in 2025

A threshold between growth and harvest, expansion and reflection.

The summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, will take place on Friday, June 20, 2025, at 8:42 p.m. MDT. This astronomical moment marks the sun’s highest point in the sky, bringing with it the greatest amount of daylight in a single day. For ancient and modern cultures alike, the solstice has been revered as a powerful turning point, a threshold between growth and harvest, expansion and reflection. It is a day to honour the sun’s strength, celebrate the fullness of life, and reconnect with the rhythms of nature.

In Norse mythology, the summer solstice holds deep symbolic weight. It is closely linked to Balder, the god of light, joy, and purity. Balder’s presence reflects the radiant peak of summer. A time when light prevails. However, his myth also foreshadows the inevitable decline of the sun, as his tragic death marks the beginning of light’s retreat. His story, often honored through ritual reenactments, reminds us of the cycle of life and death, light and shadow.

Alongside Balder stands the goddess Sól, the radiant being who drives the sun-chariot across the sky each day. She is the embodiment of the sun itself, chased relentlessly by the wolf Sköll. On the solstice, her power is at its height, and many modern pagans and Norse-inspired practitioners honor her enduring journey through ceremonies and praise.

Throughout history, people across Europe, particularly in Scandinavian and Germanic regions, celebrated the summer solstice with fire festivals, feasting, and offerings to the gods. Bonfires were lit atop hills and along coasts, believed to strengthen the sun’s power and protect against unseen forces. Dancing around the fire, singing, and storytelling were communal acts that brought people together to rejoice in the abundance of midsummer.

Offerings to deities and nature spirits, including the lighting of torches or sun wheels, were part of ritual traditions meant to bless the land, ensure fertility, and safeguard the harvest to come.

Today, these ancient traditions are being revived and reimagined. Solstice rituals are created that reenact the myth of Balder, complete with symbolic effigies, sacred fires, and blessings for the Earth. Others keep it simple and intimate, lighting candles on home altars adorned with solar symbols, herbs, flowers, and seasonal fruits. The heart of modern celebration lies not in replication but in meaningful connection: to the light, to the land, and to one another. Whether in a circle of ritual or quiet contemplation, the solstice invites us to witness and participate in nature’s living cycle.

There are many beautiful ways to celebrate the solstice in today’s world. Begin the day with a sunrise meditation or greet the sunset with gratitude, marking the transition in silence or with joyful song. Spend time in nature, whether through forest bathing, hiking, gardening, or simply resting under the sky. You might craft sun wheels or flower crowns, decorate with golden hues, or prepare a meal using local and seasonal ingredients. Gather with friends for a bonfire, drumming circle, or dance celebration, anything that invokes warmth, vitality, and connection. And most importantly, take a moment to reflect on what has come to fruition in your own life, offering thanks for the light within you and around you.

The summer solstice is more than an astronomical event. It is a sacred pause in the wheel of the year. It calls us to stand in the fullness of light, to honor the life we’ve cultivated, and to recognize that just as the sun begins its slow descent, so too must we prepare for the next turning. Through ancient myth and modern ritual, we remember that this light is both a gift and a guide. One we carry forward, even as the days begin to grow shorter once again.