Litha

Litha is the sabbat of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, around 21 June in the northern hemisphere and 21 December in the southern. It celebrates the Sun at the height of its power, abundance and fullness, but also the start of the light's decline. In many European regions it coincides with Midsummer and Saint John's Eve, with bonfires, leaping over the flames and gathering herbs, which folklore says reach their greatest strength that night. In Wicca it is a time of celebration, gratitude for what has been achieved and gathering outdoors.