INSPIRASUNS

How many times have you found yourself saying, “It’s been a long day”. Well, today you can say that literally. Ahh…yes today is the first day of Summer, and THE longest day of the year. It’s actually kind of bittersweet you know. The first day of my favorite season, is the day with the most sunshine, however, tomorrow, the days start getting shorter. Well, let’s not think about that last part for now.

You know me, since I’ve started writing this little blog, I’ve found myself doing more research into topics. So this morning, I did a little research into this thing we call the Summer Solstice. So hey, as you enjoy your morning coffee, digest a few facts about one of my favorite days of the year.

First, of course, the first day of summer, is the longest day of the year, meaning the day when we see the most sunlight. It is not always the same calendar date. The date is determined by when the sun reaches its northernmost point from the celestial equator. However, the first day of summer does shift between June 20th and June 22nd. This I did not know, I thought it was always June 21st.

So meteorologists don’t technically look at today as the first day of summer. They divide the year into four seasons based on the months and the temperature cycle, it’s easier for them to compare data this way. So for technical reasons, they tend to look at the summer season as June 1 through August 31. Hmmm…didn’t know that 🙂 . Yes, the Summer Solstice model is used astronomically, looking at when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky as the first day of summer.

One other fun fact, many people celebrate the beginning of summer by eating the first strawberries of the season. The first full moon in June is also known as the strawberry moon. It typically coincided with the ripening of strawberries in the northeast and midwest. Didn’t know that either, although yes I’ve heard of the strawberry moon, now I know why 🙂 .

Well there ya go my friends, some fun facts as we begin this longest day of the year, a good long day that is. Enjoy the sunshine today, oh and hey, if you have the opportunity, eat some strawberries too!

Have a wonderful first day of summer!

Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!