Celebrating the Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the day with the longest period of sunlight. In the northern hemisphere the Summer Solstice usually falls on June 20, 21, or 22. In 2022, it is on June 21. Continue reading for some fun ways to celebrate this time of year! Check out our Pinterest board for other related recipes and tutorials.

Crafts & activities:

• Make a flower crown
• Have a picnic
• Gardening
• Watch the sunrise or sunset
• Outdoor yoga
• Make an herb wreath
• Burn an summer-themed incense (find a recipe below!)
• Make a suncatcher

Decorations and accents:

• Dried fruit
• Beeswax candles
• Suncatchers
• Summer flowers (such as sunflowers, coneflowers, dahlias)

Food to make and enjoy:

• BBQ
• Fruit pies
• Honey cakes
• Seasonal fruit and veggies
• Sun tea
• Mead
• Lemonade
• Cherries, apricots, blackberries and peaches
• ​Herbed bread
• Salad with garden veggies

Scents:

• Cinnamon
• Chamomile
• Rosemary
• Mugwort
• Yarrow
• Rose
• Lavender
• Vervain
• Sage
• Cedar
• Frankincense
• Mugwort
• Citrus
• Lily

Summer Solstice incense recipe:

Ingredients:

• copal (golden or white)
• benzoin
• sandalwood
• allspice
• lemon peel
• honey

​Directions:
Grind all dry ingredients with zested lemon peel in a mortar and pestle. Add a small amount of honey and mix. Dammar and other citrus or spices may be used as replacements if desired. Smolder on top of a hot hookah charcoal.

Feel free to experiment and use different ingredients as necessary. Any white or golden copal or dammar will do. Benzoin is for the sweet notes, which you can also get from vanilla. Cinnamon or clove can be used in place of allspice. And your favorite citrus peel can be used in place of lemon. The sandalwood is not necessary, but having some powdered wood helps with the consistency of the mix.