by Andrew Gibson

The summer solstice is a fascinating astronomical event and is celebrated in many countries around the world. The solstice literally means sun standing still in Latin. While it is orbiting the Sun, the Earth is also spinning around its own tilted axis. Due to the 23.5 degree tilt, the Sun's rays directly hit either of the two tropical latitudes on a particular day of the year. The Summer Solstice occurs when the Sun's rays are directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degree latitude North), making it the longest span of daylight and the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The summer solstice falls between June 20th and 23rd each year. In the Southern Hemisphere, this date marks the Winter Solstice, that is the start of winter and the shortest amount of sunlight of the year. The sun's rays are reaching that part of the planet obliquely, therefore losing much of its heat and energy to dispersal in the atmosphere. Historically, the Sun has been the subject of many a culture's divinity and inspiration and it is often considered the deciding factor in the harvest, fertility, energy, creative progress, and much more.

Most ancient cultures of the Northern Hemisphere had established Summer Solstice celebrations, often religious or spiritual in nature. The Celts, Gauls, Romans, Chinese, as well as Germanic and Native American tribes all had unique versions of Summer Solstice festivities. These included fertility rites, fruit and berry gathering festivals, bonfires and purification rituals. The symbolism of the Sun as a force of life gives both Solstices an essential place in human perception.

The unique availability of light, which is associated not only with life and activity, but also positive forces in the universe, seems to fill us with a vivaciousness that is lacking for other periods of the year. Midsummer celebrations, as those in honour of the Summer Solstice are alternately called, are jovial and upbeat in spirit, complete with revelling in the outdoors, food, merriment, bright colours, and all the special aspects of summer that people around the world long for year round.

The Sun is approximately 5 billion years old and is an astounding 109 times larger than the Earth. Surprisingly, the Earth only receives about two billionths of the Sun's total energy, yet that seemingly insignificant fraction is enough to sustain carbon-based life. Dreading the "dog days of summer"? It was the Romans who came up with that term to describe the period of the summer that is characterized by extremely hot weather. They believed this change in the weather pattern had something to do with Sirius, the Dog Star, which is the brightest star in the summer sky.

In recent years there have been many free e-cards designed to celebrate the summer solstice. It is now possible to choose from various free e-cards and send them to friends and family to mark this event. Sending free e-cards has never been easier and it is now possible to send them all over the world. By sending these free e-cards helps to celebrate the summer solstice and at the same time show your loved ones that you care about them.