Topic awaiting preservation: Summer Solstice

Tuesday 21st June is the Summer Solstice here in merry England.
I'm not big on festivals or arbitary celebration days, but this is one time of year I and various assortment of friends, have always taken time out to celebrate, as a group, usually around a fire, sometimes solitary.
Years (millions of them) ago I would go to Wiltshire as there was always something going on there. Stonehenge is far too crowded to enjoy.
This year there is a bonfire type gathering in the back garden of a friend which I may go to, haven't decided yet. We usually end up sitting around the fire imbibing whatever mind soothing concoction is our choice untill the sun comes up.
There are a few places I like to go to and sit by myself and just be too.
So I was wondering if you have any special things planned for the solstice? Do you dance around fires?

Have you ever wondered why the Moon looks so big on days like these, go out and have a look, big isn't it? Nasa were kind enough to send me an email this morning to explain this phenomenom.

::tao:::: ::cell::

Hehe Tao it sounds nice

And thanks for the explanation about the moon, I didn't know that...

Personally, don't dance around fires... Well, the town in which I live is surrounded by hills. Under any pretext (such as this solstice), I spend the night up there with some friends. We have a great view on the cathedral, the city lights and the buildings.

Here are some pictures I found on the Internet :

Cathedral of Rouen at night

Last two images

Next time I'll take my camera with me !

----
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets.

I must say I appreciate you chaps going to so much trouble to celebrate my birthday.

Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right.
Isaac Asimov
US science fiction novelist & scholar (1920 - 1992)

That sounds great up on those hills monsoir Moon. I think it does a person good to treat the eyes with some good scenic views. Especially if you live in the city and your eyes get accustomed to seeing no further than a couple of hundred yards.
I don't dance around the fire much nowadays myself. I prefer to sit a little away from it chatting and watching. Being a bit of a hermit tao there is usally a lot to catch up on with friends, weddings, deaths, children, the multivarious ways time has for changing everything.
There is for me something else working here, it is that link through time where our ancestors would look to the same sun at the same time of year, the longest day, and celebrate.
"Ea Nigada Qusdi Idadadvhn" Cherokee - "All my relations in creation."

[doh]nearly forgot, have a good one Diogenes[/doh]

(Edited by Tao on 06-21-2005 13:06)

Me being a lover of the night and the snow, I prefer the Winter Solstice. But bonfires at anytime of the year are always fun, although I can't say that I dance around them. At least not until well into the night after all inhibition has been drowned!

*****
In the web that is my own, I begin again...

It has been a long and very pleasent evening erm, morning, well, day I suppose.I hope you all notice how gorgeous the world is now that we've discussed the worlds problems and solved them

I had not really thought about it before but I guess celebrating the summer or winter solstice, as well as the spring and autumn equinox is a British thing. I know it is often referred to as part of the Celtic festivals, but I had thought celebrating it was more of a worldwide thing.
"We will have to investigate further Holmes"