Ah, yes. ’Tis no ordinary Monday, this.
If you’re anything like me (perish the thought), you’re not too fond of Mondays. Maybe you find it difficult to get out of bed after a nice, leisurely weekend. Or, perhaps it seems like the longest day of the week.
If it’s the latter, fear not, it’s not your imagination. Today marks the summer solstice, and since we live in the Northern Hemisphere, we will enjoy the most daylight of the year.
Yes, your greatest fear has come to pass: It’s the longest Monday of the year. (Heck, it’s the longest day of the year.)
Everywhere north of the equator will have at least 12 hours of daylight today. Here in West Michigan, we’ll have 15 hours and 21 minutes of daylight. Compare that to less than nine hours of daylight at the winter solstice in December. Put another way, today is 6 hours, 21 minutes longer than it will be on the December solstice.
So, soak up the sun while you can. We West Michiganders are starved for daylight, so pardon me if I sound exhilarated.
But maybe 15 hours and 21 minutes of daylight just isn’t enough for you. Some people want even more daylight. Well, travel above the Arctic Circle, and you’ll have 24 hours of daylight. It’s called the Midnight Sun, but be forewarned: It could really mess with your circadian rhythm.
On the flip side, above the Arctic Circle, you can expect 24 hours of dark during the winter solstice.
There’s always a chance that some of you will find this information underwhelming. Fine. That’s your deal. But we’re not done here: The full moon and June solstice are both happening June 20 for the first time in decades. The last time was in 1948 and, according to EarthSky.org, this phenomenon won’t happen again until June 21, 2062.
So, yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.
‘Meh,’ you say? Well, how about this: Tonight’s moon is a full “strawberry” moon. It’s so named because it’s believed that strawberry-picking season is at its peak now. Which makes sense because my friend’s strawberry patch has been pumping out strawberries like you wouldn’t believe. Now, I love strawberries as much as the next person, but there is a limit. There are only so many strawberries dipped in chocolate than one can consume.
But I digress.
Apparently Algonquin tribes took the strawberry moon as a signal to gather ripening fruit. And they didn’t need a calendar to know it.
Who knew a Monday could be so awesome?
