Litha: origin, summer solstice, Saint John's fires and symbolism

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What is Litha?

Litha is, in the wheel of the year, the festival of the summer solstice, the longest day in the northern hemisphere. The Sun then reaches its highest point at noon, and the days gradually shorten. In the wheel, the festival falls between Beltane and Lughnasadh. It celebrates full light, the abundance of nature and, for many, a moment of gratitude before the days decline.

Further north, the effect is spectacular: beyond the Arctic Circle, the Sun does not set at this time. In France, the longest day lasts about sixteen hours. See solstices and equinoxes for astronomical details.

Where does the name “Litha” come from?

In De temporum ratione (c. 725), Bede the Venerable cites Anglo-Saxon month names: Ærra Liða and Æfterra Liða, the months of June and July, to which an extra month is added in some years. The meaning of Liða is debated; it has been linked to a word meaning “gentle” or “navigable”. Bede describes no festival under this name. The use of “Litha” for the summer solstice is modern: it is attributed to Aidan Kelly in the 1970s and popularised by the American magazine Green Egg. Neo-Druids use another name, Alban Hefin, created by Iolo Morganwg, an eighteenth-century Welsh writer known for his literary forgeries.

Midsummer and Saint John's fires: popular tradition

The customs that accompany the summer solstice in Europe are numerous and well documented. The Church set the feast of Saint John the Baptist on 24 June, six months before Christmas, and the evening before (the 23rd) is the night of the Saint John's bonfires. Ronald Hutton dates the first mentions of these fires to the twelfth century, without ruling out older origins; a thirteenth-century English parish record describes young people lighting fires, singing and playing. In popular accounts, the fires were said to keep away dragons, witches or evil spirits.

In Scandinavia, Midsummer is a great moment of the year: in Denmark, beach bonfires; in Finland, Juhannus, with birch branches at the door and fires on the lake; in Sweden, a flower-decked maypole. In France, the tradition of Saint John's fires lives on in many communes. In a different vein, the Fête de la Musique, created in France in 1982, takes place on 21 June, close to the solstice.

The solstice and ancient monuments

Some prehistoric sites are aligned with the sunrise at the summer solstice or the sunset at the winter solstice. Stonehenge, in England, is the best-known example, and thousands of people gather there every year. The alignment of the stones with the solstice is generally accepted, but what those who raised them actually did remains unknown: one cannot speak of a “festival of Litha” in prehistory.

Litha in the modern wheel

In the Wiccan narrative, the God is at the height of his strength at Litha; he then begins to decline. A popular variant tells of the clash of two figures, the Oak King and the Holly King, who hand over power at the two solstices. This story is modern: it is often linked to the ideas of Robert Graves (1948) and has no ancient source. Common motifs are the sun, fire, meadow flowers, the oak, and the colours gold and yellow. As for stones, books cite for example citrine, carnelian, amber and tiger's eye, with no official list.

Theme	Simple gesture
Gratitude	Note what has “blossomed” since spring
Light	Watch the sunset (never look directly at the sun in daylight)
Sharing	A meal outdoors, a picnic, an evening gathering
Flowers	A bouquet of non-toxic wildflowers

St John's wort: a Saint John's Day herb to handle with care

St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) flowers around Saint John's Day and was traditionally gathered on that day; it was hung on doors to ward off evil spirits. Do not use it as a herbal tea or as a remedy without the advice of a doctor or pharmacist: it interacts with many medicines (oral contraceptives, antidepressants, certain heart treatments or anticoagulants) and can make the skin sensitive to the sun. As a dried decoration in a bouquet, it poses no problem, as long as it is kept out of reach of children and animals, but it is better not to burn it or steep it in an infusion.

Celebrating the solstice safely

June heat calls for common sense too: sunscreen, water, a hat. Outdoor fires are regulated in France and often banned in summer in areas at risk of fire: check with your town hall. Prefer a lantern, a candle in a glass holder or a battery-powered light. See our simple Litha ritual.

Frequently asked questions

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The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The Wheel of the Year.