from Zariste’s Concise Guide to World Religions

One of the four festivals of the Goddess, Summerday is held on the summer solstice, often with festivities starting in late afternoon and lasting through the night. This summer festival celebrates fertility and courtship, with the Summer Queen and her mate the Air King as its patrons.

Summerday celebrations begin with the crowning of the Summer Lord and Lady. The Summer Lord and Lady are either the couple married following Plantfete’s egg dance or the most recently wed couple. They are crowned with garlands of summer flowers then gifted everyone’s Goddess plantings from Plantfete.

The Summer Lord and Lady are given the best seats to watch the pageants about the Sea God’s courtship of the Goddess. Performed by children, the first pageant tells how the Sea God spied the Goddess and fell madly in love. Performed by unwed young men and women, the second pageant tells of the Sea God’s lengthy pursuit. Performed by handfasted or married couples, the third pageant tells about the union between the Sea God and the Goddess.

After the pageants, everyone proceeds to the honey feast with the Summer Lord and Lady again given the best seats. Every dish at the honey feast contains honey, and traditional fare is honey-glazed poultry and fish, grilled vegetables, oatmeal cakes, and berry shortcakes. Mead and elderflower tea accompany the honey feast.

Following the honey feast, children are sent home, accompanied by the elders and others uninterested in mating. The rest proceed to the highest hilltop to light the Summerday bonfire. This bonfire is built from ten types of trees (one for the Goddess, Sea God, and the Goddess’s avatars) and kindled by rubbing sticks together.

While the bonfire is being built and kindled, a priest marries any unwed handfast couples from last Summerday who desire to continue their relationship. (If they choose not to wed, handfast couples from last year are considered separated, but without the recriminations of a broken betrothal.) Then any new couples proclaim their desire to handfast and bind their left hands together.

Starting with the Summer Lord and Lady, couples dance around the Summerday bonfire sunwise then leap through the flames to enhance their fertility. These couples then spend their night in the woods and fields, often making love under the stars. They gather armfuls of summer flowers to decorate their homes. Near dawn, they wash their faces with dew then take an ember from the Summerday bonfire to light their household fire.