Today, the 21st June, is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day and shortest night of the year. This is the time of year is when the sun reaches its highest point and it marks the halfway point of the growing season.
Beltane, the Celtic May Day festival at the start of the summer, was associated with the tradition of lighting bonfires. These were also a feature of the solstice, and often the bonfires were lit on hilltops. This was a time for the ancient Celts to banish harmful spirits with the power of light and sun, in the hope that abundant harvests would follow.
Here on Mallon Farm, we are preparing for one of our main events of the year; the flax harvest.
The seeds were sown back in May and we wait for around 100 days before we gather friends and family to pull the flax by hand.
Let's hope for an abundant harvest this year!