The Summer Solstice is the most unique holiday to celebrate this season. June 21st marks the longest day of the calendar year as well as the official first day of summer and has been honored for centuries as a celebration of the sun, nature, and merriment. But just because this in an ancient holiday doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate in a modern setting and show off your handcrafted backyard garden while you’re at it. Need some inspiration for a solstice celebration? We’ve got you covered with these creative tips and tricks.
Floral Fancy
The Solstice is a celebration of nature in bloom; implementing floral motifs and decorations will help to set the scene. Make an afternoon of arranging intricate bouquets for table displays and smaller floral bunches for guest gifts. Flower crowns are popular Solstice accessories, and are a simple craft that even the kids can embrace. As for decoration, garlands of ivy and roses can be strung up and draped all over your backyard, and will make your guests feel like they’ve just set foot in a nature wonderland. These garlands can also be wrapped around chair legs and backs for that extra special touch.
Go Off The Grid and Back in Time
Use this time to unplug from social media and electronic correspondence by cutting the digital cord. Encourage your guests to put down their phones and engage the old fashioned way. Historically, a Maypole Dance is the ultimate Summer Solstice tradition and is a celebration the whole party can join in on. Constructing a Maypole is simple, stress free, and can serve as eye catching decor as well as the landmark of your solstice party. Another unplugged activity your guests can enjoy is pulling back the hot tub cover and taking a soak in your backyard hot tub. Create some nature inspired ambiance by adding summer inspired aromatherapy soaks that are specially formulated for use in jacuzzis. No matter which activity you and your guests choose to embrace, you will all appreciate having some old fashioned fun and relaxation.
Light Up The Night
A traditional Solstice celebration draws on late into the night hours. Outdoor lighting is therefore crucial when preparing for a backyard gathering on the longest day of the year. String lights are a popular choice for creating a cozy ambiance all night long. These wallet-friendly lights are easy to hang for overhead coverage or placed in glass mason jars for charming portable lighting. Tea light candles are another simple lighting solution for an outdoor party, and more candles means less electricity use and more environmental friendliness. And what’s not to love about that?
Festival Feast
Serving food at a party is a given, but why not take it to the next level and serve your guests a veritable feast? Channel the solstice celebrations of yore with a menu of sumptuous, nature inspired, and aesthetically pleasing meals and drinks. Here are a few to spark your creativity:
- Anything-Goes Green Goddess Salad
- Buttermilk Spring Chicken
- Grilled pizza with fresh veggies
- Summer berry cake
- Solstice Sipper
Your friends and family will be delighted by the tasty and unique menu you’ve cooked up. Once dinner has been served, invite your guests to enjoy drinks and dessert in your backyard living room, where they can lounge about and enjoy the magic of a warm summer’s night. Don’t forget to have your outdoor sectional cover on hand to toss on at the end of the festivities: this may be a celebration of nature, but your furniture shouldn’t be harmed by it.
Fire It Up
What’s a better way to celebrate the joy of summer than a nighttime bonfire in the backyard? Not only are bonfires a staple of summer get-togethers, they are also a Summer Solstice tradition that dates back centuries and across many European cultures. And while you may not be jumping over flames or practicing ancient customs, a solstice celebration simply isn’t complete without one.
Whether you have a firepit ready to go or will be safely building one from scratch, there’s simply no better way to end your celebration on a high note. Gather up some s’mores supplies for the kids (and kids at heart) to enjoy, or simply pull up a chair and kick back for some fireside relaxation.
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