Hyatt Saikin
Publisher |
In my mind, June is an official summer month, even if technically it is two-thirds spring. It seems like you can see and feel "summer" in everyone's faces. When the days get warmer and the sun shines longer official dates don't matter: Summer has arrived!
Besides warmer weather, June is also known as a month for getting married. Perhaps this is because it is named after Juno, the goddess of marriage, and it's considered lucky to be married in her month. June's birthstone is the pearl; the honeysuckle is its flower.
As trivia experts are aware, no other month in the year begins on the same day of the week as June. But what really sets June apart, is that in our northern country, it has the year's longest day of sunlight: the summer solstice. In 2010, this happens on June 21st., at 11:28 a.m.
In many cultures this was a special day. I wonder why it isn't in ours? Maybe we have lost something valuable. All over the planet, so-called primitive people used to keep track of this event. Stonehenge is, according to what I have read, a big calendar of sorts, marking the passage of the sun and moon throughout the year. Other cultures kept track of the solstice and the equinox; these were festive days, times of celebration.
On June 21st., a few years ago, I went to a business and found the door locked. There was a note on the door that read, "Closed - Summer Solstice". While I was inconvenienced, I did think to myself that I liked that way of thinking. They were doing what they could to keep themselves in some sort of natural harmony.
Ottawa Natural has harmony and rhythm, and at times, rock 'n roll. The June, Ottawa Natural - we hope you enjoy it.
Hyatt
