June 21st is one of my favorite days of the year. While technically not always on the 21st of June, the day is referred to as the Summer Solstice. It is the day the earth’s northern pole has its greatest tilt toward the sun and thus the most daylight hours for those in the northern hemisphere. Here in New England, we were fortunate to have over 15 hours and 15 minutes of daylight on that day. Of course, those above 42° latitude were able to enjoy even more daylight. They say that Hammerfest Norway only has a 40-minute night on the 21st – is there such a thing as too much daylight?
I had the privilege of being in Sweden on June 21st one year, where the day is a national holiday. It is called Mid-Summer and they make the most of that day with numerous celebrations and events. Considering some locations in Northern Sweden are darkness around the clock in December/January, no wonder the daylight is celebrated. I recall during my visit, finishing up a round of golf at 11pm and I thinking how awesome that was.
No matter what day of the year or season is your favorite, I wish everyone a Safe and Enjoyable Summer.
PS: Don’t forget to mark your calendars for IMTS @ McCormick Center in Chicago IL from September 12th to 17th. Rathbone Precision Metals will be at Booth# 236331 – see you there.