The days around the summer solstice have always seemed to me the most magical time of the year. Since coming to Europe, I have tried to make the most of this season, and all the glorious light, by venturing north. I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced St. Petersburg and Karelia, Russia; Bergen, Norway; Skåne, Sweden; and Denmark around this time of year. As the hour grows late, shadows stretch to unfamiliar proportions, and a dusky yellow light bathes the landscape. If you’ve never been in the northern latitudes at this time of year, I can’t recommend the experience highly enough.

But it’s not only the far north of Europe that uses this turning point in the year as a basis for celebrations. From Bulgaria to Scotland, the days ahead will be marked in special ways.

In Sweden, midsummer is celebrated throughout the weekend, particularly on the Friday. Most city dwellers flock to the countryside. Typical ways to enjoy the days include camping or taking up residence in a country house, dining al fresco on new potatoes with dill and herring, drinking schnapps, gathering flowers and even dancing around a maypole. For more, see The Local’s the lowdown on Swedish Midsummer.

France celebrates midsummer with music. Visit any number of places from Toulouse to Troyes to take part in the Fête de la Musique, in which public venues becomes stages for free music events. Can’t get to France on such short notice? Check out the festival’s international program and learn more about shows in Luxembourg, Hannover or Rome. Karlsruhe and Saarbr?cken are hosting events too. The town of Idstein, just north of the Rhine in west Hessen, hosts a jazz festival throughout the weekend.

A natural magnet for celebrations in England is, not surprisingly, Stonehenge. Druids, pagans and just plain party people flock to the site. Last year, according to Summer Solstice celebrated at Stonehenge, more than 20,000 individuals turned out to mark the occasion. If that sounds a bit too far-out, the Midsummer Watch Parade in Chester might be a more family-appropriate affair. The parade features a family of giants, a unicorn and other fanciful beasts. Even closer to home for many would be Cambridge’s Midsummer Fair.

In Kaiserslautern? Check out the Long Night of the Arts 2008. The inner city sets the stage for concerts, artistic installations, short films and dance. A bracelet that allows entry to most of the venues costs 7 euros for adults. In many places, admission is free.

Nipping at the heels of the summer solstice is St. John’s Day, June 23. Known in Denmark as Sankt Hans, the evening is celebrated by huge bonfires along the coast as well as inland. Although public gatherings are widely held, circles of friends may just as well get together and create a more intimate celebration. The common feature of most of the Sankt Hans bonfires I’ve ever attended was the rain. St. John’s day is celebrated in Scandinavia, the Baltic States, France, Italy and elsewhere throughout Europe.

Is there truth to what I was taught in school, that the solstice always occurs on June 21? In 2008, according to several online sources, it will happen on June 20 at 23:59 hours UT, or Greenwich Mean Time, which, according to my calculations, works out to June 21 for me but June 20 to my stateside family. And after that, the days will already be growing just that little bit shorter. But I’ll try not to think about that for a while, and bask in the warmth and the light.