I live on the East Coast, and recently, the weather has been reaching ridiculous degrees — like, "I should have invested in a pair of shorts, even though I hate shorts" temperatures. Spring is one of my ultimate favorite seasons, so it'd seem ridiculous to cast it aside so easily, but in situations like this, you can't help but wonder, when is the first day of summer? Or in other words, when can I fully expect my beach-fever to kick in?
The start date of summer is figured out based on the summer solstice. The solstice is when the sun is in the sky at the most northern point, which means that we'll get sunlight the longest on that day in comparison to other days of the year. You might have heard this day referred to as "the longest day of the year," and that's because typically, the amount of sunlight we get falls in the 14.5 hour range — pretty huge. For those of us in the United States, the first day of summer will fall on Monday, June 20, at 6:34 a.m. EDT this year. Those in Asia and Europe will be celebrating the first day of summer on Tuesday, June 21.
The weather gets much hotter during the summer based on the angle of the sun. Not only is the sun placed much higher than normal, but it's angled in a way that allows its rays to hit the Earth and warm the environment. This year, our summer is predicted to be exceptionally hot.
The solstice happens twice a year, with the winter solstice, which will happen on Dec. 21, marking the shortest day of the year. We've been charting the sun patterns for many, many years, which helps us accurately predict our seasons. In fact, if you're familiar with Stonehenge in England, it's important to know that this structure, which was built between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C., has a big part in the summer solstice. By standing at just the right spot, approximately northeast through the entrance, you can see the sun rise in quite a beautiful manner. While it's unclear as to whether or not that was the intent of the structure back in the day, it has become a tradition for thousands of visitors to stop by, to see the sights, and welcome in a new season.
Thankfully, we've been trained since kids to celebrate the summer solstice accordingly. While many retail stores use the first day of summer to have sales on ultimate essential summer gear, we usually bring in the new season with cookouts, swimming pools, and plenty of time outside (coated with a healthy dose of SPF). But, hey. Let's take one thing at a time. Enjoy spring while it's still around, since come winter, we'll be missing the thrill of gorgeous flowers and fresh, homegrown vegetables.
Images: BONNINSTUDIO/Stocksy; Giphy;
