summer solstice | In the Valley

Celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The Old Farmer’s Almanac website, www.almanac.com, reports summer begins today in the Northern Hemisphere at 7:09 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The timing of the solstice depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or 21 in North America, depending on time zone. The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice). The sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at “high-noon” on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day than any other.

Unity Centre for Spiritual Living, 1226 Naylor Lloyd Road, Girard: The church celebrates earth-centered spirituality with a solstice ritual at 7:30 p.m. today featuring music, singing, drumming and earth-related prayers from various traditions. After the ritual, participants will plant flowers in Unity’s garden.

Youngstown Eclectic Pagan Society: The group celebrates nature and the cycle of the summer solstice with an informal program of poetry and music at 6:30 p.m. today at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1105 Elm St., Youngstown.