The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year in that hemisphere, when the sun is at its highest position in the sky.

Since prehistory, the summer solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures, and has been marked by festivals and rituals.

In areas outside the tropics, the sun reaches its highest elevation angle at solar noon on the summer solstice.

Many ancient monuments in Europe especially, as well as parts of the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the summer solstice (see archaeoastronomy).

[9][10] The significance of the summer solstice has varied among cultures, but most recognize the event in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals around that time with themes of fertility.