The sun is out, the trails are beckoning, and the days are not only longer but seem lighter, freer, and filled with opportunities for adventure. That’s right! Summer is upon us ☀️
You know what that means. It’s time to dust off those tank tops, pull out your Sunski sunglasses (like these everyday styles), slap on some spf, and get on outside to celebrate our favorite time of year.
Celebrate summer by basking in the glow of the sun!
June 21st marks the Summer Solstice, Midsummer, or Litha. Since the Stone Age, this day has been spent celebrating abundance, light, renewal, and community.
At Sunski, we’re big fans of the sort of sun worshiping and celebrations this time of year represents - so, naturally - this is our kind of holiday!
There are TONS of ways to get outside and welcome our beloved sun, gather with your people, and celebrate the longest day of the year. From feasts, dancing, bonfires, hikes, trail rides, and beach days - people around the world find creative ways to indulge in the energy of the sun during the Summer Solstice, and you can, too!
Any activity dedicated to basking in the energy of the sun, expressing gratitude, setting intentions, and welcoming rebirth and abundance for the coming months is a Sunski-approved Summer Solstice celebration.
Ready to find your own ritual to celebrate? Keep reading for some ideas, big and small, to get you started out on your next adventure this Summer Solstice.
What is the Summer Solstice?
Before you establish your new Summer Solstice ritual, you might be asking yourself, “What exactly IS the Summer Solstice?”
Well, astronomically speaking, the Summer Solstice is when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most facing the sun (in the Northern Hemisphere), causing the sun to remain visible in the sky for the longest period of time in a day. Six months later, the same happens in the opposite direction marking the Winter Solstice - when the sun is in the sky for the shortest amount of time in a day.
The two solstices (summer and winter) happen alongside two equinoxes (fall and spring) each year, marking the beginning of each of the four distinct seasons of the Gregorian Calendar.
Culturally, each of these times of year indicates a transition in harvests, lifecycles, and intentions.
For us here at Sunski, there is no better time than summertime to celebrate all of the ways we can live in harmony with nature, celebrate the light, and bask in the Forever Summer mentality.
So, if you’re ready to join us in a Summer of Sun Worship - read on for some ideas on how to celebrate the Summer Solstice, harness the energy of the sun, and live your best Sunski life this summer.
Enjoying life outside with friends is one of the best ways to ring in summer
Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
There are endless ways to celebrate the return of the sun and light each year. From simple 5 minute practices to planning an all-out adventure, here are some ideas to kick off the sunniest time of year.
1. Watch the sunrise and sunset
There is something magical about watching the sun rise and set on the longest day of the year. If you’re up for the early wakeup call - this ritual is an especially serene way to center yourself in the meaning of this season.
Try bringing a journal with you and jotting down some reflections on abundance, renewal, and shedding of negative energy. As you watch the sun set in the evening, focus your mind on the ways that light shines in your life each day and all of the ways you can harness that energy to shine light to others.
2. Meditate
Whether or not meditation is already part of your daily practice, the Summer Solstice is a wonderful time to spend some moments in meaningful meditation. Find a quiet space (bonus points if it’s outdoors), and spend some time focused on your breathing.
Welcome gratitude into your practice by considering the ways that the sun brings life into our world - nourishing each living thing and bursting with light and powerful energy.
Whether you have just 5 minutes or a few hours, sitting in intentional time and meditation is a perfect way to honor this powerful and joyful time of year.
The Type-1 Fun Sling can cart along all your adventure essentials, all summer long!
3. Set your intentions
A great partner to your Summer Solstice meditation practice is to take some time on June 21st to write out your intentions for the coming months.
This time of year not only focuses on releasing dark energy and emerging anew, but also on the journey back into the Winter. Think of all of the ways that you hope to grow and reflect during this season of light, as well as what you hope to take with you as the days begin to shorten again.
4. Take your shoes off
Spend some time touching the Earth. Honoring the sun means grounding your connection with all of nature. Find a place to take your shoes off and really feel what lies beneath you.
Whether you’re putting your toes in the sand at the beach, the grass in a local park or trail, or simply in your own backyard, taking some time to feel the Earth below will connect you with the positive energy and light flowing around you.
Go for the sensory experience: relish the sun on your face and the warmth under your feet
5. Practice yoga
Yoga offers a perfect opportunity to exercise both your body and your soul as you enter into a time of expansion and abundance. Spend some time practicing Sun Salutations, or your favorite series. As you move through your practice, try to focus on the sun’s embracing and prosperous energy.
If you can, take your practice outdoors and relish in the happy, healthy, energized way you feel during and after.
6. Gather flowers
The time-honored tradition of gathering herbs and flowers is a perfect way to celebrate the abundance of the Earth during the Summer Solstice. Try using them for a fun arts and crafts project or to create a traditional Midsummer flower crown.
Fresh cut herbs and flowers are also a perfect way to brighten up your home for the new season, and a great reminder to exercise gratitude for the nourishment of the Sun each time you pass them in your space.
7. Plan an outdoor adventure
What better way to honor the sun than to get outdoors! Call up your friends or pack up your family and consider an all-day outdoor experience of nature and sunshine. Don’t forget to pack your favorite Sunski Sun Up Hat!
Perhaps you can try some forest bathing, or go for a walk in your neighborhood, garden, or local park. Or maybe a beach day, long hike, or motorcycle ride is more your style.
Whatever outdoor adventure you choose, make sure to bring along your community and spend some time reflecting on the abundance all around you - abundance of community, nature, fun, and nourishment.
Make the most of the longest day of the year, plan an adventure!
8. Host a picnic, dinner, or feast
A major component of Summer Solstice celebrations around the world is centered on abundance. Abundant harvests meant prosperity, expansion, and community for everyone!
Celebrate abundance in your life this Summer by hosting a picnic, potluck dinner, bbq, or feast. Don’t hesitate to go all out - eat, dance, sing, and be merry. After all - what is a celebration without getting a little rowdy!
9. Have a bonfire
Another time-honored classic way to welcome the Summer Solstice is with a bonfire! Channel the traditions of ancient cultures and Midsummer celebrations by gathering around the fire to talk, dance, sing, and rejoice.
It’s long been believed that fire can help banish evil spirits and clear room for the magic of abundance. So grab your people this June and celebrate the emergence from the dark into the light with an all-out bonfire party. If you are more deeply into the ritual of the experience, save some ashes from your fire to incorporate into your future meditations or scatter in your home garden.
10. Choose your own adventure
Have some other ideas? Try them out! Our suggestions offer some jumping off points, but feel free to get creative with your celebrations. As long as you are finding ways to focus on and welcome the power of the sun, you are part of a long standing tradition of celebrating the Summer Solstice.
Get your hands dirty, volunteer in your community, forage in the forest, hunt for seashells on the beach. Whatever it is, make sure to do it with intention, and to spend your time connecting with the light inside of you, the light shining down on you, and the light you bring into the world for others to see.
Whatever you choose to incorporate into your Summer Solstice Ritual this year, know that you are doing so as part of a community. Your sun-worshiping friends here at Sunski are celebrating right along with you ☀️
Meet the Author
Sarah is a freelance copywriter based in San Diego, California. She helps value-centered Outdoor & Adventure companies tell their story and grow their reach with fun, relatable, well-researched copy. She loves camping, hiking, social justice, and spending time outdoors. You can find more information about her work at www.sarahkcreative.com
