The Longest Day

[Coldicote]

According to my calendar, the longest day of the year and the first day of summer are both on 20th June. Who on earth decided that the longest day of the year was the first day of summer? It's mid-summer's day as far as I'm concerned, followed by days gradually getting shorter. What are your thoughts about it?

[petal54]

I hate shorter days,need to ban 'emless rain required

[emmie]

that it all goes by far too fast.

[Brenden]

Especially as you get older,x

[Euphemia]

What summer?

[starone]

Yes, you are quite right coldi - very strange indeed and I agree with you about midsummer's day. Pity about the days getting shorter after, doesn't seem right somehow.

[tonyav]

Shorter !, they have only just started to get longer.

[Kiki-frog]

I'm with you, Coldicote. It's like the first day of spring starting at the equinox, when we've already had daffodils in flower. 20/21 June is definitely midsummer.

[hc4361]

If we lived on the equator we would have two seasons and June 20 would be midsummer.
We don't and we have 4 seasons. Summer starts on 20th June.

[karenmac60]

Isn't midsummers day the 21st?

[HowardKennitby]

Karen

I think it varies between the two. Perhaps because this is a leap year it comes early.

[Coldicote]

HC is probably right about "if we lived on the equator" - presumably somewhere between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. But we don't, and are well outside those measures. I did a Google search for the definition of summer and found - 'The warmest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from June to August and in the southern hemisphere from December to February'. I still feel the longest day should be our mid-summer and not the first day of summer.

[chaptazbru]

You can't stop the days getting shorter and they start getting shorter after 21 June, that's nature, so you can't delay it until mid summer !! Anyway, it ony starts geting shorter by seconds and doesn't suddenly go dark on the 22nd June at 6 pm. Just ignore it and enjoy the summer, however it turns out !!

[Coldicote]

How right you are Chapt. The subject has had a pretty good airing so I'll sign off now. Thanks everyone.