Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

The
Menagerie
of Creatures
under the
Moonlit Sky
pennypollockart.com • pennywave@yahoo.com • 805-798-1418
PHOTO KRISTIN E. LANDFIELD
responses to the lengthening of days.
This year, summer solstice in the Northern
Hemisphere falls on June 21st. In
our planet’s rotation around the sun, the
summer solstice, also called the estival
solstice, occurs when Earth's poles are on
their maximum tilt towards the sun, thus
the hemisphere closest experiences the
longest day of the year. The further north a
location is from the equator, the longer the
daylight will persist. It’s a peak point, after
which the length of days begins to shorten
in its summer arc.
Throughout recorded history, humans
have celebrated this apex with traditions
and rituals that honor the gifts of the sun
and the extension of light. Here in the
southern Appalachians, as with myriad
traditions, solstice has been celebrated with
bonfires, with music and dancing, and with
feasts of summer crops, trout and sipping
vinegar (“shrubs”). Solstice bonfires date
back to Appalachian settlers’ western European
ancestors in the Middle Ages, as well
as the Cherokee traditions that preceded
settlers’ arrival. For all cultures, solstice is
a time to gather and savor the warmth and
(Opposite): Fireflies in glass jar; (Above):
Lake Rabun in the Southern Appalachians on
a long summer day in 2022.
Come visit Peak Experience for fine
American handcrafts, including
jewelry, pottery and great gifts!
Suzy Landa
Jewelry Trunk
Show. Meet the
Artist. July 21-22
2820 Dillard Road, Highlands, NC | 828-526-0229 | Open Daily
June/July 2023 | 71