Midsummer's Day - June 24th
Midsummer's Day - June 24th
Not many people realize that June 24th has the epithet Midsummer day. This name has nothing to do with the solstice, or the middle of summer, but it has everything to do with quarter-days.
The others quarter-days are: Lady Day on 25th March, Michaelmas on 29th September, and famously, Christmas on 25th December.
The other connotation for Midsummer day is Shakespeare's Midsummer night's dream. Shakespeare builds on superstitions that this was a time of the year when fairies were abroad.
Midsummer's eve is also known as St John's eve, particularly in Ireland. The St John is none other than St John the Baptist, hence he was born on Midsummer's day, June 24th. Incidentally, this a good to to collect the St John's Wort plant. Meanwhile in the southern hemisphere places like Australia celebrate this day with a warming bonfire.
One custom of the first Millennium was 'Handfasting'. The idea was that couples who had announced their engagement on May day would enter into a trial marriage on June 24th. This handfasting would last for a year and a day and if all went they would then marry.
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Midsummer's Day Story
The Happiest Days of the Year = June 20th -24th
Cliff Arnall has derived a mathematical formula which proves that mid-June is the happiest day time of the year. His result is due to a combination of lighter evenings, memories of childhood summers and the prospect of holidays, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Cliff, who is a psychologist and former tutor at Cardiff University, worked out the equation:
"O + (N xS) + Cpm/T + He".
O stands for being outdoors, N is nature, S is socialising with neighbours and friends, Cpm stands for childhood positive memories, T is the mean temperature, and 'He' is holiday expectation.
However this year (2008), his formula fails to take into account falling house prices, rising inflation, stagnating pay rises or the fact that none of the United Kingdom teams are in Euro 2008.
Midsummer's Day Jokes
How to get to the midsummer bonfire
A townie was looking for the Midsummer bonfire, he stopped and asked Tyler. 'Will this road take me to the Midsummer day bonfire?' 'Oh no,' said Tyler. 'You'll have to go by yourself!'
Shakespeare's Comedy - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Nick Bottom (Weaver) wears a donkey's head.
See more Saints Days and other special days :
● Special Days ● St David's Day ● St Patrick's Day ● St George's Day ● St Andrew's ● Home
● Burns Night ● Up-Helly-Aa ● Groundhog ● Shrove Tue ● Candlemas ● Lady Day ● May Day
● 4th July ● Bastille Day ● St Swithin's ● Lammas ● Labor Day ● Michaelmas ● Remembrance
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