When we were kids counting down the days until Christmas, the summer solstice just a few days before Christmas day was a special interlude in the endless days of waiting, waiting and more waiting. Mum knowing how much our anticipation was building would give us a little gift to celebrate high summer on the solstice..The gifts were sweet little things, a little jewellry box for me or a small toy car for my brothers, nothing major but it kept us going until Christmas day.
We would have watermelon and fruit especially if a particularly hot day. The memories of the summer solstice are fond just like the winter solstice memories. Even though we were often busy this time of year with end of school activities and social occasions. It was still lovely to have another celebration to look forward to. And given we weren’t religious, celebrating the solstice felt like celebrating nature in all its wonder, which I guess it was and still is..
When we were teenagers, I recall our Art teacher who was a friend of mums and the family. He would bring us a mango pie around the summer solstice, one he had made from his home grown mangoes. It was surprisingly delicious, we would all swiftly devour it..wanting for another slice. He eventually began to bring two pies, a great Solstice treat.
Tomorrow is the summer solstice here in the southern hemisphere, the longest day and shortest night in the calendar year. And I’ll give my little one a small gift, a crystal pendant to hang in the window to catch the light, and I only just realised while writing this how apt the gift is..
I can’t believe its nearly the end of the year once again, time to reflect a little on what the year has meant, if we can find a few space moments in between the Solstice and New Years, maybe to put pen to paper or look through photos on the camera roll, or just sit in nature and breathe it all in..
And of course I’ll be remembering the days spent with mum and all the preciousness, whilst time continues to swirl and move forward on the ever process of life and all its wonders..And I may also be trying to figure out how to make a mango pie!
Here’s to a happy Solstice wherever you are..
Ps this summer fruits platter would be perfect for a summer solstice celebration..
