Summer solstice marked with celebration tonight in Liberty

LIBERTY

Summer stormed into the Mahoning Valley today with heat, humidity and scattered showers, as if to say “take notice, a new season has arrived.”

None of that dampened the spirit of the 50 or so people who turned out for the summer solstice ritual celebration this evening at Unity Church Centre, 1226 Naylor Lloyd Road, to mark the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

The word solstice comes from a combination of Latin words meaning “sun” and “to stand still.” On the solstice, the sun shines in the sky longer than any other day and also is at its highest point.

Conversely, Tuesday marked the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the shortest day of the year.

Kirk Kupensky, minister of music, led the program, which combined contemplative passages projected on a screen, music and meditation.

Read more about the celebration and the solstice in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.