Today is Summer Solstice 2011, everyone! If you're a Pagan or Christian New Yorker, this probably means something to you.

Summer solstice celebrates a time when the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky. Or to be accurate- the Earth's axis is pointed closest to the sun, at around 23.5°.

Today at 17:16 Universal Time, and 12:16 in Eastern Standard Time, New Yorkers would be well-advised to leave their desks for an extra long lunch to gaze at the gloriously high sun-- although not directly into it, folks!

For many Christian communities, summer solstice marks the festival of St. John the Baptist.

And in an older tradition-cum-New Age, their Pagan counterparts celebrate Midsummer.

Bonfires and feasts, replete with pre-Christian libations and cured meats, are common in the celebrations of both traditions.

Leave a comment telling IBTimes how you are going to celebrate Summer Solstice 2011!

Religion Sun