Every year, druids, pagans and just ordinary partygoers from all over Britain and Ireland arrive at Stonehenge, the world famous ancient monument in Wiltshire, in the early hours of the morning of July 21st (summer solstice, the longest day of the year) to welcome the rising of the sun. One of Britain's many eccentric annual rituals, the events re-enact the things that Britons' ancestors would have done millenia ago.
Stonehenge is one of 20 monuments competing to be named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a massive online poll....
Who loves the sun: Druids fete solstice at Stonehenge
Last Updated: Thursday, June 21, 2007 | 10:52 AM ET
The Associated Press
Druids, drummers, pagans and partygoers welcomed the sun Thursday as it rose above the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge on the longest day of the year — the summer solstice.
Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group of druids cheered and danced at the Heel stone — a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of Stonehenge.
Taking a swig from a mug of vodka and Red Bull, she said she had been coming to the solstice ceremony for the past eight years.
About 24,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights coloured the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple. Couples snuggled under plastic sheets.
Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. Bonfires, maypole dances, and courtship rituals linger on in many countries as holdovers from Europe's pagan past.
In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the World Heritage Site has become a magnet for men and women seeking a spiritual experience — or just wanting to have a good time.
Compared to religious pilgrimage
Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old recently graduated religion student from New York City and a self-described pagan, said she had been saving for a year to make it to Stonehenge, comparing the importance of the trip to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.
"It's not the hajj, but it is [thousands of] people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that," she said.
But the celebrations can also attract their share of troublemakers. Police closed the site in 1984 after repeated clashes with revellers. English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, began allowing full access to the Stonehenge again in 2000.
Police and about 200 English Heritage stewards were deployed to keep the hedonists from getting out of hand. Police reported four arrests for public order violations.
Stonehenge ancient mystery
Solstice celebrations also take place in other countries, although most are deferred until the last weekend in June. Swedes will sip spiced schnapps, Danes will light bonfires, and Balts and Finns will flock to the countryside to dance, sing, and make merry under the midnight sun in one of the region's most important holidays.
The southern hemisphere, meanwhile, was caught in the depths of winter. In Antarctica, where permanent night rules from mid-April through Aug. 20, staff at New Zealand's Scott Base science facility celebrated the midwinter solstice with a formal dinner of speeches and toasts.
Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 130 kilometres southwest of London, was built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C., although its original purpose is a mystery. Some experts say the monument's builders aligned the stones as part of their sun-worshipping culture.
It is one of 20 monuments competing to be named one of the new seven wonders of the world in a massive online poll.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/06/21/solstice-britain-070621.html
Stonehenge is one of 20 monuments competing to be named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a massive online poll....
Who loves the sun: Druids fete solstice at Stonehenge
Last Updated: Thursday, June 21, 2007 | 10:52 AM ET
The Associated Press
Druids, drummers, pagans and partygoers welcomed the sun Thursday as it rose above the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge on the longest day of the year — the summer solstice.
Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group of druids cheered and danced at the Heel stone — a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of Stonehenge.
Thousands of revellers flocked to Stonehenge Thursday to celebrate the summer solstice. The ancient monument, built from bluestone, sarsen and Welsh sandstone, is believed to date back to 3000 B.C.
"Happy solstice!" said Laura Tungate, a 26-year-old financial adviser from Newcastle, who wore a giant rainbow sweater and offered hugs to smiling passersby.Taking a swig from a mug of vodka and Red Bull, she said she had been coming to the solstice ceremony for the past eight years.
About 24,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights coloured the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple. Couples snuggled under plastic sheets.
Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. Bonfires, maypole dances, and courtship rituals linger on in many countries as holdovers from Europe's pagan past.
In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the World Heritage Site has become a magnet for men and women seeking a spiritual experience — or just wanting to have a good time.
Compared to religious pilgrimage
Jeanette Montesano, a 23-year-old recently graduated religion student from New York City and a self-described pagan, said she had been saving for a year to make it to Stonehenge, comparing the importance of the trip to the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.
"It's not the hajj, but it is [thousands of] people in a little circle. I wanted to experience something like that," she said.
But the celebrations can also attract their share of troublemakers. Police closed the site in 1984 after repeated clashes with revellers. English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, began allowing full access to the Stonehenge again in 2000.
Police and about 200 English Heritage stewards were deployed to keep the hedonists from getting out of hand. Police reported four arrests for public order violations.
Stonehenge ancient mystery
Solstice celebrations also take place in other countries, although most are deferred until the last weekend in June. Swedes will sip spiced schnapps, Danes will light bonfires, and Balts and Finns will flock to the countryside to dance, sing, and make merry under the midnight sun in one of the region's most important holidays.
The southern hemisphere, meanwhile, was caught in the depths of winter. In Antarctica, where permanent night rules from mid-April through Aug. 20, staff at New Zealand's Scott Base science facility celebrated the midwinter solstice with a formal dinner of speeches and toasts.
Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 130 kilometres southwest of London, was built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C., although its original purpose is a mystery. Some experts say the monument's builders aligned the stones as part of their sun-worshipping culture.
It is one of 20 monuments competing to be named one of the new seven wonders of the world in a massive online poll.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/06/21/solstice-britain-070621.html
