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Summer Solstice
The solstice brings the longest light; cicadas sing among green willows.
Solar term date
Dates follow the Hong Kong Observatory’s calendar. They are civil dates, rather than precise astronomical times.
About this solar term
Summer Solstice begins at solar longitude 90°, when the Sun reaches its northernmost declination. It brings the Northern Hemisphere's longest daylight period, with polar daylight at high latitudes. It is not necessarily the hottest day.
Seasonal lore describes shedding antlers, calling cicadas and growing pinellia. Biological timing varies by species and region.
After the solstice, Northern Hemisphere days gradually shorten. Customs such as eating noodles mark this turning point in the year.
Seasonal signs
Deer shed their antlers, cicadas call, and pinellia grows.
Traditional seasonal signs combine observation with historical imagination. Weather and wildlife vary by region and year.
A reading of the poem
Cicadas call everywhere: it is the middle of the fifth lunar month. A dragon lies hidden in green depths as summer's fire strengthens the Sun. Lightning often follows rain and rainbows accompany drifting clouds. As the calendar's musical note changes, the two seasonal forces turn in different directions.
Tang dynasty · Traditionally attributed to Yuan Zhen
咏廿四气诗·夏至五月中
Poem source