Summer Solstice

Long before there was a Labor Day, but shortly after the invention of the backyard cookout, our ancestors began celebrating the summer solstice, which marks both the midpoint and longest day of the year.

England's Stonehenge may be the most famous monument to the solstice. Some 5,000 years ago, its creators positioned colossal blocks of rock in a circle and erected a gateway aimed at the rising sun. Similar designs were used in Egyptian and Mayan temples.

Ancient folk also greeted the solstice by sacrificing their pets and kin, but we prefer a more lighthearted approach. You could, for example, build your own miniature Stonehenge out of wooden blocks or clay. Or you could celebrate the solstice by rising with the dawn and enjoying eggs, sunny-side up. At day's end, you might also consider packing up some crayons or pastels, heading for the nearest pond or hill and drawing a souvenir picture of the sun as it sets.