June
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

No, that isn't a Celtic language, it's English.  Chaucerian English, from the 1300's.

Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,
  And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,
  To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.
  And specially from every shire's end
  Of England they to Canterbury wend,
  The holy blessed martyr there to seek
  Who helped them when they lay so ill and weal
Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales
June is the month for Father's Day and Midsummer's Day~ 21 June this year.  It is also the first month of summer vacation (the reason I'm late with this!), a busy agricultural month, and a month of pilgrimage.

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, several pilgrims to the shrine at Canterbury agree to swap tales along the journey.  Chaucer agrees to write them down for posterity, and the pilgrims will decide who has given the best tale.  The work, although long, was never finished.  Chaucer died.  And we will never know which tale was chosen as the best.  In the General Prologue, part of which is quoted above, the month for pilgrimages is said to be April.  Things change.

June makes sense as the beginning of the pilgrimage season in modern times, with fine weather, school having been let out, and more people living in urban settings.  Our Links page and our Travel page have suggestions for travel in the Celtic realms.

I chose the term Midsummer for the 21st of June because it more matched the beginning of this piece.  Nowadays, 21 June (in most years) is called the beginning of Summer.  I don't have a clue as to why or how Midsummer became its own beginning.  21 June this year will have the most hours of daylight, with the sun's setting and rising times gradually coming together again until Midwinter, usually on or about 21 December.  In olden times, 1 May was considered the beginning of summer, and 1 November the beginning of the darker time of year.

Summer is a magical time for children.  School is out and long, lazy days stretch themselves forward, misted in a haze of heat and fun.  It's warm enough to swim or go barefoot, and the days are long enough to play until nine o'clock at night.  Time for fishing, sailing, camping, and visiting relations.

Summer is also the time of Highland Games and Rennaisance Faires, held in various places around the country.  In European countries, the Gypsies take to the roads in their Caravans, upholding a long tradition of footloose freedom.  Their brightly-colored wagons can clog narrow lanes as cars try to squeak past them.

In rural settings, summer is the long work season.  Long hours of daylight, warmth to generate the plants, and the kids off from school for extra help around the farm or ranch come together for a busy time.  Animals are groomed and fattened for the slaughter.  Young calfs and colts can be seen by their mothers' sides.  Waving grasses begin turning green and verdant along the highways and local wild plants line the roads.

If you're planning a vacation this summer, take care!  Have fun!


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