Activity: Five Ways to Celebrate Litha
Litha is the high point of the Celtic year, when the sun stands at its strongest and the world feels saturated with light. It is a season of growth, fire, fertility and full-bellied abundance. Marking this turning point is a quiet antidote to modern rush, a way to notice the wider rhythm we are part of, and to welcome Summer with intention.
Here are five simple ways to celebrate Midsummer in the spirit of Litha.
1. Gather flowers for the house
Litha is a festival of bloom and brightness, so let flowers lead the celebration. Fill jam jars with wildflowers or garden cuttings and place them around your home. If you have time, make a simple wreath or a flower crown. Midsummer is the moment for it, and nothing lifts a room like fresh colour gathered by hand.
2. Honour fire and candlelight
Fire is central to Litha, symbolising protection, purification and the sun at its height. If you have outdoor space, a small fire or fire bowl is perfect for an evening gathering. If not, candlelight carries the same meaning. Light a few beeswax tapers or tealights at dusk and let their glow mark the shift from daylight to deep Summer night.
3. Spend time in the green world
Litha is the height of the growing season, when the land feels most alive. Take a slow walk in woodland, meadow or by the shore. Sit somewhere quiet and notice what is flourishing. Listen for birdsong, watch insects in the grasses, feel the warmth on your skin. Let the season meet you in the body, not just the calendar.
4. Eat outdoors if you can
Food tastes different under open sky. Pack a picnic, set up a mezze supper, or simply take a bowl of berries into the garden or onto the doorstep. Keep it simple and seasonal. Fresh salads, soft bread, ripe fruit, anything that speaks of ease and abundance. This is the Celtic feast season, and the table can be anywhere.
5. Welcome elderflower season
Elderflower belongs to this moment of the wheel. Those creamy white blooms arrive just as Litha approaches, and they carry an old folklore of protection and renewal. Forage a small amount responsibly and turn it into cordial, vinegar, syrup or elderflower fizz. Even a splash of cordial in a cake or iced drink feels like bottling the light.
A Seasonal Note
Litha reminds us that fullness is fleeting, and therefore precious. The sun is at its peak, the days are long, and Summer is opening in all directions. Celebrate gently, in ways that feel true to you, and let this season of light nourish you for the turn that will come after.
