June 21, 2011

White Dog, the Other White Dog, Another White Dog, Still Another White Dog, and Yet Another White Dog gathered around me at precisely 11:16 am this morning to usher in the official Summer Solstice. "But it is always light this time of day," Nuka yawned, a little miffed that her prelunch nap had been disturbed. "Yeah, what's the big deal now. I thought it is supposed be light for 24 hours or something," YoYoMa said confusing our latitude with someplace more polar.

White Dog, ever the group's mentor, keyed up the computer and gave the WDA a brief rundown on the importance of the moment. "Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still." As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December."

"So there you have it," Puff said as she eyed the purple duck jerky bag. "Seems like a true reason to celebrate." "Treats only if everyone does a little research and tells me one interesting fact about this event," I challenged.

The pups huddled around the monitor and I heard the keyboard clacking away as I walked out of the room. Ten minutes later, Quinn came to summon me back to the office. Five beaming faces looked up and said in unison, "Treat time!" Here is what they found:

The first day of summer is also known as the Summer Solstice, Midsummer , St. John's Day, or the Wiccan Litha.

The Celts & Slavs celebrated the first day of summer with dancing & bonfires to help increase the sun's energy. The Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light.

The day is celebrated around the world - most notably in England at Stonehenge and Avebury, where thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the Summer Solstice.

The modern tradition of getting married in June stems from the Druids' celebration of the day as the "wedding of Heaven and Earth".Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.

The astrological sign associated with the Summer Solstice is Cancer, which is symbolized by the crab. It’s said that the crab is the symbol since the year walks backwards like a crab with progressively shorter days after the solstice.

After such fine research, the WDA was rewarded with jerky, water with honey and lavender (very refreshing), haunting Irish music, we read a Act 1, scene 1 of Midsummer's Night Dream together...then in the New Mexican tradition of Summer's heat, we took a siesta.