Mid summer

I can hear you from here. "What is this guy talking about? Summer's only just begun. June 21st, right?"

Well, yes and no. Yes if you live in America. Summer starts on June 21 the longest day of the year. In Ireland, however, summer begins on May 1 and that means ... mid summer is right now. To prove the point, Cork is in the middle of the two week Midsummer Festival right now.

And, as you might imagine, there's a religious feast to mark the occasion. Tomorrow, June 24, is the feast of St. John the Baptist and in parts of Ireland the eve of St. John's feast is marked by bonfires. I've never been to a St. John's Eve bonfire, but it's on my list.

The 23rd always reminds me of the song Spancil Hill, which is a great 19th century emigrant's song.

Being on the twenty-third of June, the day before the fair,
When Ireland's sons and daughters in crowds assembled there

{If you want to read a bit more about the bonfire tradition, you can find it here.}