Christmas, Easter, and (less notably) All-Hallow's Eve. But is there a Church holiday planted over the summer solstice?
Asked by
Nullo (
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)
November 24th, 2011
Syncretism has made it possible for Christians to celebrate on days when it would only be pagans celebrating. But I cannot for the life of me think of anything sitting on the day of the summer solstice, opposite Christmas on the calendar.
Any insight?
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9 Answers
It’s probably the most important holiday of the year in Quebec. :)
People aren’t craving darkness to hide the light at mid-summer. But mid-summer is the time of fecundity and swelling, both of fruits and of wombs. No need for religious succor then.
Midsummer is big here, for obvious reasons, but as far as I’m concerned, it is a pagan tradition for me and mine.
From Wiki:
Although Midsummer is originally a pagan holiday, in Christianity it is associated with the nativity of John the Baptist, which is observed on the same day, June 24, in the Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches. It is six months before Christmas because Luke 1:26 and Luke 1.36 imply that John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus, although the Bible does not say at which time of the year this happened
There’s a feast day in Catholicism for every day of the year (several, in fact, from smaller local patrons to bigger saints). So for a really long time, yeah, totally, there were many, they just haven’t really survived into our modern culture. Some bigger ones are Pentacost (sort of around May Day) and Midsummer (which was already mentioned).
Oops!
I read over your post much too quickly and didn’t answer your question….
Taking deep breath, relaxing shoulders, centering…..
Too much coffee perhaps
Searching “christian holiday at the summer solstice” I found some interesting information.
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