- Summer Solstice Gathering at Stonehenge: Thousands Gather to Celebrate
- The Significance of Stonehenge in Solstice Observances
- Mixed Experiences: Reflections from Visitors at Stonehenge
Approximately 10,000 individuals have congregated at Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice.
At the ancient site near Salisbury, Wiltshire, druids, and pagan visitors united together to observe the longest day of the year.
On the winter solstice, the sun rises behind the entrance to the stone circle, directing beams of light into the monument’s center.
People from all over the world travel to the stones to celebrate.
The distinctive formation of Stonehenge is aligned with both the midsummer sunrise and midwinter twilight.
Wednesday will have 16 hours of daylight.
Janet Burns and Gill Richardson of County Durham participated in the festivities in Salisbury.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations,” Ms. Burns explained.
Ms. Richardson added, “Incredible, absolutely incredible. “I’ve never encountered anything like it; it was simply incredible.”
“What an incredible sunrise we witnessed this morning,” said Scott Ashman, the director of Stonehenge for English Heritage.
He stated that the sunrise “takes you by surprise.”
“You walk around with your back towards the sun, then you hear the cheers, then you turn around, and it’s there.”
Mr. Ashman stated that he sometimes has to pinch himself, adding, “I do manage one of the world’s greatest wonders.”
Kate, a resident of France, stated that she had not visited Stonehenge since before the coronavirus pandemic.
“It feels great to be back amid all the chaos,” she said.
I believe it’s a beautiful method for people to exist more gently and presently than they can in their everyday lives.
Sarah from Bristol reported that Rudi slept the entire trip.
“There has been much more noise than we anticipated.”
She stated that this made it difficult to “connect with nature” and added, “It’s been an experience.”
