Solstice at Stonehenge Draws Crowd of Pagans and Partyers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON Thousands of druids, pagans and partygoers converged on Stonehenge late Wednesday as people across the northern hemisphere prepared to welcome the summer solstice the longest day of the year.

Today’s sunrise was to be welcomed by about 20,000 people expected to crowd around the ancient circle of stones in Wiltshire in southern England.

Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. People in many countries still celebrate with bonfires, maypole dances and courtship rituals.

In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the site has become a magnet for those seeking a spiritual experience or just wanting to have a good time.

Solstice celebrations also take place in other countries, although most are deferred until the last weekend in June. Swedes will gather to sip spiced schnapps, Danes will light bonfires and Balts and Finns will flock to the countryside to dance, sing and make merry under the midnight sun.

Stonehenge, on the Salisbury Plain 80 miles southwest of London, was built between 3000 and 1600 B.C., although its purpose remains a mystery.

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