Litha (and its seasonal friends)

I was having trouble writing a post about Litha, the Summer Solstice. It’s a holiday I haven’t celebrated formally much- I just remember one year doing an ADF-style solitary ritual in my backyard. Usually I am busy camping- we are leaving tomorrow for our trip- we’ll be biking, canoeing, and fishing! Also it is not really important in either of the cultures I focus on- Gaelic or Hellenic. It is a big holiday in Sweden and other parts of Europe though not so much in the British Isles.

I have come to realize though, that my culture’s equivalent of Litha is really Independence Day- the 4th of July. On the American calender, summer is “kicked off” on Memorial Day,  the last Monday in May, at its height on the 4th, and ends on Labor Day in September. All three are celebrated with barbecues in parks, as is Father’s Day in June. As June comes from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage, it’s been traditionally a month for weddings- celebrations of heterosexuality, while ironically we also have GLBT Pride festivals and parades around the solstice as well.  This year is special in Minnesota though, as our gay, lesbian and bisexual friends with same-sex partners will also be able marry. The law will officially come into effect in August- and Lughnasadh, interestingly is also a traditional time for weddings among the Irish, since they had fairs at that time. But that’s a ways off! Here’s to summer!

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