Solstice

Do you love to play outside when the sun is bright and warm. I am the day when the sun stays up the longest, just for you. We can play and play and play. I am also the day when the sun gets sleepy very early. The night becomes long and dark, perfect for snuggling under a soft blanket with a story. I help the Earth tip and tilt. Hello. I am the Solstice. I make the longest day and the longest night of the whole year.

A long, long, long time ago, people watched the sun every single day. They saw how it danced in the sky. They noticed that some days were very long and some were very short. They knew I was special. In a place called England, around the year 3000 BCE, people built something amazing to celebrate me. They used giant, heavy stones, bigger than a grown-up elephant. They pushed and pulled the big stones to make a circle called Stonehenge. They lined them up just right so the sun would peek through on my longest summer day. It was like a big, sunny clock. It helped them know when to plant their yummy seeds to grow food.

Today, you still celebrate me. When I bring the longest summer day, you might have a picnic in the park. You might stay up late to watch sparkly fireflies dance in the dark. When I bring the longest winter night, you might light cozy candles that flicker and glow. You might sip warm hot chocolate with marshmallows. I am a happy day that shows how our world is always turning. I promise that after the longest night, the sun will come back to play. I help everyone know the seasons are changing.