The solstice derives from Latin words that mean, the “sun stands still.” It’s the day, because of the Earth’s rotation, that the sun appears to stop moving north, and starts heading south again. It will reach the highest point at 1:16 p.m. EDT, the time when it officially becomes summer — or winter, depending on which hemisphere you reside.
For those south of the equator Tuesday is actually the winter solstice. Rituals greeting the change of season are happening around the world. In El Salvador, Mayans hold ceremonies to help balance the energy of Mother Earth and ask for abundant crops. In the U.S., yoga practitioners embark on 108 rounds of Surya Namaskar — or sun salutations in English. The 108 marks the number of prayer beads used to count mantras in the Hindu practice. In England, around 18,000 neo-pagans and new agers watched the sun rise over the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge.
