Summer solstice 2020: Sensual traditions on the longest day of the year

Daisy Carrington and Forrest Brown, CNN
7 minute read
Published 12:30 AM EDT, Sat June 20, 2020
Taking full advantage of the summer solstice, a couple holds hands while watching the sun rise in Tynemouth, a coastal city in northeastern England. Click through the gallery to see more photos of how the longest day of the year sparks romance:
Taking full advantage of the summer solstice, a couple holds hands while watching the sun rise in Tynemouth, a coastal city in northeastern England. Click through the gallery to see more photos of how the longest day of the year sparks romance:
Owen Humphreys/PA Images/Getty Images
In Belarus, people traditionally take the opportunity to celebrate the sun on Ivan Kupala Day by bathing in lakes and letting their free spirits and romantic impulses take over.
The summer of love —
In Belarus, people traditionally take the opportunity to celebrate the sun on Ivan Kupala Day by bathing in lakes and letting their free spirits and romantic impulses take over.
VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/Getty Images
An archdruid performs a ritual near the cordoned off Stonehenge near Salisbury, England, during summer solstice 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has prevented druids, pagans and partygoers from watching the sun rise at Stonehenge in person for the past two years.
An archdruid performs a ritual near the cordoned off Stonehenge near Salisbury, England, during summer solstice 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has prevented druids, pagans and partygoers from watching the sun rise at Stonehenge in person for the past two years.
Ben Birchall/PA/AP
During the Swedish national holiday of Midsommar, the usually cool, calm and collected Swedes turn to their raucous Viking roots and consume a copious amount of vodka and dance around -- according to some -- a rather phallic-looking Maypole. Perhaps unsurprisingly, research shows a lot of babies are born nine months after the festivities.
Sexy Swedes —
During the Swedish national holiday of Midsommar, the usually cool, calm and collected Swedes turn to their raucous Viking roots and consume a copious amount of vodka and dance around -- according to some -- a rather phallic-looking Maypole. Perhaps unsurprisingly, research shows a lot of babies are born nine months after the festivities.
Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
During the Greek solstice celebration Klidonas, bachelors across the country try to impress single ladies by building tall fires and jumping over them. According to custom, anyone who jumps the flames three times is rewarded with a good year ahead but more importantly a likely date for the evening.
Romantic flames of Greece —
During the Greek solstice celebration Klidonas, bachelors across the country try to impress single ladies by building tall fires and jumping over them. According to custom, anyone who jumps the flames three times is rewarded with a good year ahead but more importantly a likely date for the evening.
MediaCo
In Eastern Europe, Ivan Kupala Day has romantic connotations for many Slavs as "kupala" is derived from the same word as "cupid." In Ukraine, it is common for girls to put wreathes on a river to attract eligible bachelors.
Cupid in Ukraine —
In Eastern Europe, Ivan Kupala Day has romantic connotations for many Slavs as "kupala" is derived from the same word as "cupid." In Ukraine, it is common for girls to put wreathes on a river to attract eligible bachelors.
OLEXANDER ZOBIN/AFP/Getty Images
In neighboring Belarus, girls place candle offerings into rivers as they celebrate Ivan Kupala Day. The pagan tradition has been accepted into the Orthodox Christian calendar.
Offerings of love —
In neighboring Belarus, girls place candle offerings into rivers as they celebrate Ivan Kupala Day. The pagan tradition has been accepted into the Orthodox Christian calendar.
VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/GettyImages
In Latvia, women wear flower crowns and dress in traditional costumes singing folk songs.
In Latvia, women wear flower crowns and dress in traditional costumes singing folk songs.
Janis/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Traditionally, one of the largest solstice celebrations in the world takes place at Stonehenge. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no in-person gathering. You can enjoy sunset and sunrise there via livestream.
Pagan passion at Stonehenge —
Traditionally, one of the largest solstice celebrations in the world takes place at Stonehenge. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no in-person gathering. You can enjoy sunset and sunrise there via livestream.
Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Pagans and neo-druids treat the solstice like the ultimate marriage ceremony. Over the years, many couples have gone to Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain to confirm their love on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Love on the rocks —
Pagans and neo-druids treat the solstice like the ultimate marriage ceremony. Over the years, many couples have gone to Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain to confirm their love on the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Romance and love -- the summer solstice
CNN  — 

Call it love. Call it romance. Call it sensuality. Go ahead and call it old-fashioned lust if you want.

But whatever you call it, the summer solstice for 2020 is arriving – and it has a history of stirring hearts and libidos.

The longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere kicks off the official start of summer and with it, the bounty of the harvest.

So it should come as no surprise that the solstice is linked to fertility – both of the plant and human variety – in destinations around the world.

CNN Travel explores some of those long-standing summer traditions. But first, we’ll take a look at the science of a solstice and what’s special in 2020.

Summer solstice: Q&A

Question: I like precision. Exactly when is the summer solstice in 2020?

It will happen at 21:43 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) on Saturday, June 20. If you’re in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, that’s 5:43 p.m. June 20.

But if you happen to live in Tokyo, for instance, your precise summer solstice moment actually happens at 6:43 a.m. on Sunday, June 21.

In fact, all of Asia will observe the solstice on June 21. Berlin, Germany, in Central Europe barely falls on the June 20 date at 11:43 p.m. local time.

The website TimeandDate has a handy tool to let you calculate the time for where you’ll be.

Question: It’s the longest day of the year – and it happens all over the world?

Nope. It’s the longest day only in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s the shortest day of the year south of the equator. The