Midsummer Day - June 24th

Did you know?

Tomorrow, June 24, Midsummer Day, occurs near the summer solstice, or what we think of as the beginning of summer, to the farmer it is the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvesting, and an occasion for celebration.

After Midsummer Day, the days shorten. The English church considered it a “Quarter Day,” one of the four major divisions of the liturgical year. The days that marked the four major divisions of the year were called Quarter Days; they originally marked the four seasons, fitting readily into the rhythm of the ways people farmed. As the 12-month Roman calendar was adopted for both civil and religious purposes, all of the Celtic days began to conform more closely with the liturgical year of the Christian church and became identified with major religious festivals.

Since ancient times, Midsummer Day has been the occasion for weddings, feasts, and revelry. Also celebrated on June 24 is Discovery Day (Newfoundland-Labrador, Canada), St. John the Baptist Feast Day, and Fête Nationale (Québec, Canada).