June 21
STONEHENGE, England—Druids, drummers, pagans and partygoers welcomed the sun Thursday as it rose above the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge on the longest day of the year—the summer solstice.
Clad in antlers, black cloaks and oak leaves, a group of druids cheered and danced at the Heel stone—a twisted, pockmarked pillar at the edge of Stonehenge.

About 24,000 people gathered at the stone circle in Wiltshire, in southwestern England. Dancers writhed to the sound of drums and whistles as floodlights colored the ancient pillars shades of pink and purple. Couples snuggled under plastic sheets.

Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. Bonfires, maypole dances, and courtship rituals linger on in many countries as holdovers from Europe's pagan past.

In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the World Heritage Site has become a magnet for men and women seeking a spiritual experience—

Solstice celebrations also take place in other countries, although most are deferred until the last weekend in June. Swedes will sip spiced schnapps, Danes will light bonfires, and Balts and Finns will flock to the countryside to dance, sing, and make merry under the midnight sun in one of the region's most important holidays.

The southern hemisphere, meanwhile, was caught in the depths of winter. In Antarctica, where permanent night rules from mid-April through Aug. 20, staff at New Zealand's Scott Base science facility celebrated the midwinter solstice with a formal dinner of speeches and toasts.

Scott Base Manager said, "We do survive in total darkness—so the return of the sun is a very special occasion." "We're celebrating the fact that it won't go any further away."

Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 80 miles southwest of London, was built between 3,000 B.C. and 1,600 B.C., although its original purpose is a mystery. Some experts say the monument's builders aligned the stones as part of their sun-worshipping culture.

It is one of 20 monuments competing to be named one of the new seven wonders of the world in a massive online poll.
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