As the sun stretches its limbs and lounges comfortably in the sky, one might wonder how we can make the most of the longest day of the year ー commemorate it, before it slips from our fingers. Summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year, is celebrated on June 20th or 21st every year. For millennia, it has been celebrated by a vast range of cultures and continues to be a day treasured by many today.
Here are some ways you can celebrate this joyful day:
1. Bake a honey cake: Celebrate the sun’s everlasting light with a cake to mirror its golden goodness. Baking a honey cake with loved ones allows you to spend quality time with those who matter most and create a delicious honey dessert. Taste summer in every bite with our selection of Summer Blossom Honeys, such as our Headwaters Honey, sourced from the Headwaters region ー here’s a bee-autiful honey cake recipe to sweeten your celebration!
2. Create a bouquet of wildflowers: Gather your favourite flowers, from dandelions to wild violets, whether for a bright addition to your home on this special day or for the centerpiece of a summer solstice feast with close friends. You can also visit your local florist for a more refined bouquet ー a selection of sunflowers is an especially fitting bouquet to honour this day, as sunflowers are a symbol of the summer solstice and young sunflowers orient themselves towards the sun as it passes in the sky. Let the sun radiate further throughout this day by bringing sunflowers into your home or by picking from the colourful wildflowers in your area.
3. Light a bonfire: Sustaining this flame on the longest day of the year is meant to amplify the sun’s strength to ensure the prosperity of the crop season, as practiced in Slavic and Celtic cultures, among others. With the beaming sun and soothing crash of waves, enjoying a beach bonfire is a splendid way to spend the day!
4. Soak up the sun: Whether on a towel at the beach or at your local park, make sure to soak up the sun on the summer solstice. Spending as much time outside as you can is important on the longest day of the year ー just make sure to wear sunscreen!
5. Make a toast: Toast the significance of the day with loved ones who spending the longest day with doesn’t feel long enough. Mead, also known as honey wine, acts as the perfect beverage to use to celebrate special occasions such as these, with our liquid gold providing a subtle sweetness to every bottle. You can find our selection of meads here!
We hope you have a wonderful celebration and soak up every second of the longest day of the year. Wishing you a summer solstice as sweet as honey!