What is the summer solstice?

The timing of the solstice is not based on a specific calendar date and time.  It really depends on when the sun reaches its northernmost point from the equator.

The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).

"Deep snow in winter, tall grain in summer." - Estonian proverb

In temperate regions, we notice that the sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. 
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This summer solstice is the day with the most hours of sunlight during the whole year. At the winter solstice, just the opposite occurs, the sun is at its southernmost point and is low in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the feeble winter sunlight.


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Reference: The Farmer's Almanac
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