June 21st is the longest day of the year in Britain, known as the summer solstice, and it marks a time when the country remembers its pre-Christian past.

Stonehenge is the most potent symbol of the summer solstice in Britain, and possibly the world. The stone circle in was built around 3000BC, but the reasons are still unknown.

 

Two possibilities are that it was used for human sacrifice or astronomy. Whatever the motivation, it is guessed that its construction required more than thirty million hours of manual labour.

 

Now it is the focus of summer solstice celebrations, particularly for the country’s growing pagan population. Pagans still hold the religious beliefs of the ancient Celtic or Anglo Saxon Asatru of Britain; that there are many gods, and that the sun and elements are powerful forces in concert with the gods. Every summer thousands make the pilgrimage to Stonehenge to reconnect with nature and our ancient traditions.

 

The summer is the most important season for pagans in Britain. May Day is Beltane the celebration of the coming summer. August 1st is Lammas or Midsummer when thanks are given for the harvest. But the most important date is the 21st of June, when the bounty and warmth of the summer months is celebrated.

 

It is also a time when many believe that the line between the human and fairy worlds are thin, and we can come into contact with the magical creatures that live in the countryside. William Shakespeare most famously portrays this in the play A Midsummers Night Dream.

 

It tells the story of a two couples who become lost in the woods, and draw the attention of Oberon and Titania, the fairy king and queen. After much misunderstanding, a lot of magic and the liberal use of love potion, the two couples are married the next morning. The tradition of midsummer weddings is still very popular in Britain.

 

Although a minority religion, Paganism is felt by many to be Britain’s true belief system, and was the dominant religion of this green and pleasant land for thousands of years, before Christianity, Judiasm and Islam took root here. Stonehenge is not the only site of standing stones. In fact there are more than 1,000 stone circles across the British Isles demonstrating how important they were to the indigenous people Less well known than Stonehenge, but equally magical are the stones ofCallanish on the Isle of Lewis.

 

Britain’s biggest summer music festival takes place on the weekend nearest the summer solstice at one of the most important Pagan sites in Britain, Glastonbury Every midsummer the best bands on the planet play in 900 acres of fields that make up the Vale of Avalon, the supposed resting place of King Arthur Legend tells us that it was Arthur’s advisor, Merlin who had the stones of Stonehenge taken from Ireland and rebuilt on their present site.

 

The mystery and magic of this time of year has been heightened recently by the appearance across the country of crop circles – enormous versions of amazing geometrical patterns, seen in Celtic jewellery and clothing, made in fields of wheat. Their creation and meaning are still unknown.

 

Where and how will you celebrate the summer solstice? Bring plenty of Bulldog Buzz, and make sure you offer it as a tribute to your ancestors!!