Ok, so what does the solstice mean then if it’s not during the day?
Astronomically, the solstice occurs at the precise moment when the Earth’s tilt towards the sun reaches its maximum.
From About.com:
On June 21, there are 24 hours of daylight north of the Arctic Circle (66.5° north of the equator) and 24 hours of darkness south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5° south of the equator). The sun’s rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Cancer (the latitude line at 23.5° north, passing through Mexico, Saharan Africa, and India) on June 21.But what it means to most of us is that it’s the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. Many people will flock to Stonehenge to experience sunrise on the solstice. Many communities will have feasts and dances. Check your local paper to find out what’s happening near you.
Fun Facts
Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream takes place on the Summer Solstice.Midsummer was originally a pagan holiday. As with most pagan holidays, the Catholics created a new holiday around the same time to encourage people to celebrate a saint rather then the pagan worship. So in Christianity, it is associated with the nativity of John the Baptist, which is observed on the same day, June 24, in the Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches. It is six months before Christmas because Luke 1:26 and Luke 1.36 imply that John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus.
Quebecers know it as St. Jean Baptiste Day and they celebrate it June 24.
Lithuanians celebrate St. Jonas Festival (St. John’s Day) where those with the names Jonas, Jonė, Janina receive many greetings from their family, relatives and friends. The Lithuanian’s also throw quite a party with lots of singing and dancing until the sun sets, telling tales, searching to find the magic fern blossom at midnight, jumping over bonfires, greeting the rising midsummer sun and after washing their faces with a morning dew, young girls float flower wreaths on the water of river or lake.
Some people believed that golden-flowered mid-summer plants, especially Calendula, and St. John’s Wort, had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night.
Bonfires are traditional on Midsummer. Originally, they were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. Couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as they were able to jump.
Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning “sun” + “to stand still.”
The Druids’ celebrated Midsummer as the day of the “wedding of Heaven and Earth”, resulting in the present day belief of a “lucky” wedding in June.
Pagans called the Midsummer moon the “Honey Moon” because they drank quite a bit of mead which is made from fermented honey. Mead was part of wedding ceremonies. (So should we now call it the Champagne Moon?)
Smarter Ways to Save Big On Your Mortgage
In our news roundup today we’ll look at ways you can save your money with
your mortgage, home repairs to do before refinancing, and report on the most
affordable cities in the US.
First, though, we’ll mention that the Feds did not change anything with their recovery stimulus packages, so we should continue to see low rates and aid for people whose homes are underwater.
USA Today reported that four of the nation’s leading mortgage servicers have not complied fully with the new standards for handling home loans.
“This report provides the public with a new and transparent look into how banks are treating homeowners,” said Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.Always work with a reputable mortgage loan officer to ensure your loan is handled properly.
Donovan said the servicers have improved their performance since the new standards took hold. They no longer sign off on foreclosure paperwork with little or no review or charge distressed borrowers a fee to process a loan-modification request.
Most Affordable Cities In The US
Business Insider released a study on the most affordable cities to own a home in the US after reviewing over 100 metro areas. The least affordable place to own a home was Honolulu followed by Silicon Valley, and then San Francisco metro area. Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue was 9th on the list of unaffordable. However, they used an average income based upon the entire United States and not in those particular areas where income is above average. And it did not take into account any local initiatives for affordable housing. Work with a reputable Realtor and mortgage loan officer to find a home that’s affordable for you where you want to live.Home Repairs to Do Before Refinancing
The weight of an appraisal is now more focused upon measurable facts like what other homes have sold for and less on cosmetics. The appraiser will be evaluating location, lot size, square footage, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The appraiser will also evaluate the cosmetics such as if the kitchen was remodeled.From Yahoo News:
When you refinance, you’re looking to save money on interest that you would normally have paid out over the term of the loan. Home improvements that increase the value of your home will also increase your enjoyment and could be considered an investment of the money you saved.Improvements that may help a refinance valuation:
- Additional bedroom or bathroom
- Addition to the lot size
- Addition to the garage
- Improvement that expands the “use” of the home
Improvements that may help a sale price:
- New paint job
- Freshly maintained landscaping
- Remodeled and/or upgraded interior
- Deck and/or patio addition
- Additional bedroom or bathroom
- Addition to the lot size
- Addition to the garage
The Smartest Way to Save Big On Your Mortgage
Yahoo Homes reported that a shorter loan term will save you the most on your mortgage. Shorter-term loans typically come with lower interest rates and higher monthly payments.The benefits of the short term pain are:
- You won’t lose as much money on interest
- Reap the benefits when you sell your home (you’ll get most of the sale price instead of having to pay off the rest of your mortgage)
- Build equity to reverse an underwater mortgage
To sum up, Quick Internet Loans are easy and affordable loan schemes which give you comforts along with cash. Getting such timely monetary aids is the best way to meet all your sudden expenses without any hassle, Please visit
ReplyDeletebusiness loans for people with very bad credit
cheap loans for poor credit
Home loans for retired people.