The summer solstice of 2023: how many hours does the longest day last in Ukraine, what traditions exist

The day of the summer solstice is a unique event that has long had its own characteristics and traditions in Ukraine. When is the longest day and shortest night of the year?

The solstice is a special phenomenon that people have enjoyed since ancient times. During the year, the Earth experiences two such events – in winter and in summer. TSN.ua found out when the longest day and shortest night will be in Ukraine in 2023 and what traditions related to the summer solstice existed even among our ancestors.

When is the summer solstice in 2023

People often call this day the longest daylight period of the year, the middle or beginning of summer. Be that as it may, the summer solstice always occurs on approximately the same date, depending on the calendar shifts (June 20 or 21).

In 2023, Ukrainians should expect the longest day and shortest night of the year on Wednesday, June 21 at 17:57 Kyiv time. It is at this moment that the center of the Sun will pass through the northernmost point of the ecliptic (the point of the summer solstice).

What happens on the day of the summer solstice

Summer solstice is the moment when the axis of the planet Earth is maximally tilted towards the Sun.

In simple terms, the summer solstice is the longest day and shortest night of the year. On this date, the height of the Sun’s rise in the sky is considered the highest.

By definition, summer begins on this day in the Northern Hemisphere. How long is the longest day in Ukraine? On June 21, 2023, the sun will rise at 03:46 am and set at 20:13 pm. That is, the longest day will last 16 hours and 27 minutes.

What to do on the day of the summer solstice

The day of the summer solstice was considered among our ancestors to be particularly mystical and one that differs from others in its strong energy. Even today, esotericists claim that on this date it is better to get up at sunset, when the energy is at its highest level. Also, during this period, you can make wishes that will surely come true.

To attract the favor of the Sun, you should wear bright colors (orange, red, yellow). Even if it is difficult to find clothes of such shades in your wardrobe, you can always add gold jewelry or other details to the image.

This is a day of positive energy, so you should not curse, shout or raise your voice.

Summer solstice and traditions of Ukrainians

Before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar on the territory of modern Ukraine, our ancestors celebrated the summer solstice on July 7, i.e. on the day of Ivan Kupala. Since ancient times, people have enjoyed walking, gathering medicinal herbs, jumping over bonfires, singing, dancing, and searching for the mysterious fern flower. By the way, water had a sacred meaning for Ukrainians on the day of the summer solstice in ancient times. In the morning, the girls even collected dew from the grass to wash themselves with. It was believed that this is how you can preserve beauty and youth.

They also necessarily bathed in open water bodies, and unmarried girls also made fortune-telling on the betrothed: they wove wreaths and let them go under the water.

Our ancestors strictly followed the traditions that existed in the territory of modern Ukraine from time immemorial: they woke up at sunrise, greeted the star, and drank tea with honey. On this day, it was customary to refuse food of animal origin.

And on the day of the summer solstice, attention was paid to natural phenomena that indicated the weather conditions in the future:

• a large amount of dew in the morning – expect a large harvest;
• clouds, rains and thunderstorms – the harvest will fail;
• there are many stars in the sky – there will be many mushrooms in autumn.

It was believed that if you wake up before dawn on the day of the summer solstice, you can be healthy all year round. There was also an interesting superstition related to water: if a guy accidentally doused a girl, a wedding would soon await them.

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