Beginning of summer 2023: also astronomically from 21 June

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June 21 is the beginning of summer on the calendar. The season for meteorologists began on 1 June. Astronomically, summer begins with the summer solstice, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on its apparent annual path. June 21 is the longest bright day of the year in the northern hemisphere. And then comes the shortest night of the year. This event in the annual calendar has always inspired people.

When does summer begin?

Summer officially begins on June 21 at 16:57. This is how astronomers calculated it. And then comes the shortest night. This means: lots of sun thanks to lots of light and available weather.

In Switzerland, the day lasts about 17 hours, with morning and evening twilight phases. Further north the days are even longer. A day in Oslo, the capital of Norway, lasts more than 18 hours. The Arctic Circle is reached at about 66.5 degrees. To the north of this sign, the sun does not set during the day, here the so-called midnight sun is spoken. Further north, the midnight sun phase lasts longer: In Tromsö, Norway, the sun never sets between May 20 and July 22. It’s been over two months without interruption. At the Northern Cape, the northernmost point of the European mainland, the midnight sun lasts from 14 May to 29 July, about two and a half months.

Further south than Switzerland, the length of the day is shortened to the equator in summer. There today, like all 364 days of the year, takes almost exactly twelve hours.

The earliest sunrise in our latitudes is June 16, and the latest sunset is June 26. The deviation from June 21 is only half a minute.

Many countries celebrate Summer Night

And he comes late at night and leaves very early. There’s a term for this magic: midsummer night. In the Christian calendar, St. John’s Day on June 24, the day of commemoration of John the Baptist, represents this event.

Midsummer night traditions are much older. It is most common in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries – where the sun never sets or sets for a very short time around June 21st and it doesn’t really get dark. Here is a selection of midsummer traditions: The bonfire is supposed to fend off demons that will make cattle sick and bring mischievous children. Straw dolls were thrown into fires in many parts of Europe. In the old Zurich, the new mayor was elected on St. John’s Day. Jani is the most popular holiday in Latvia. The capital Riga then turns into a sea of ​​flowers. Stacks of flowers are twisted into garlands, and the girls decorate with them to please their loved ones.

(sda)

Source : Blick