29 Cool Ways to Welcome and Celebrate Summer

June 21st was the Summer Solstice, the first day of Summer and the longest day of the year. Throughout history, people the world over have observed this event with various celebrations in the month of June.

For ancient people, there was a good cause for celebration, as well as relief: the snow had disappeared, warm temperatures had returned, and flowers were blooming. It was easier to find food. Now you could just kick back and party until it was time to harvest in the fall.

Why do you need to know this? No reason, except it gives you another excuse to stop and celebrate life. Your life. Congratulations for making it through another winter! Here are some suggestions to welcome summer.

1. Throw a party. Have some friends over, cook for them, have music, make sure everyone dances outside.
2. Walk in the grass barefoot. Get connected to the earth.
3. Lie on the ground and stare up at the night sky for a long time. Or talk a walk, hike or dance by the full moon.
4. Plant a tree, flowers or vegetables. Cucumber, squash, beans, melons. Learn to grow something.
5. Walk around naked.  You decide where, just don’t get arrested.
6. Have a picnic. Don’t wait for any special occasion. Just hang out, read a book, take a nap.
7. Go to an outdoor concert. Hollywood Bowl is cool, so is the Greek Theatre. Or check out the Arboretum’s Festival on the Green. 
8. Make some sun tea. Chai tea is great, so is mint tea.
9. Build a bonfire and burn some winter clothes. Or make an effigy of your old screwed up self and set it on fire. Again, check with local ordinances, don’t get arrested!
10. Make a reading list for summer. One fun book, one biography, one heavy book.
11. Make a summer movie list. You know those movies you always wanted to see? Just do it.
12. Go to a nursery and smell all  the flowers. Especially the gardenias, they always remind me of my mom.
13. Find a body of water to sit by for a day. The beach, a lake, a stream. Dunk yourself under and say “Water, cleanse me of whatever needs to be cleansed.” Combine with number 6.
14. Start meditating or walking in the mornings. It light and easier to get up.
15. Take a yoga class. Even you, dude. Especially you.
16. Take a tai chi class.
17. Get a bunch of water balloons and go at it with your kids. Or let them run around in the sprinklers.
    

    Jude with Sprinkler Hat

18. Take a vacation, for God’s sake. Drive there.
19. Start keeping a journal “What I Did in the Summer of 2011.” You never know what’s going to happen…
20. Go buy a watermelon or a bag of peaches.
21. Make some ice cream.
22. Play baseball or softball.
23. Go buy yourself some toy you always wanted: a big bubble wand, a super soaker squirt gun, a telescope, whatever.
24. Watch nightfall on your porch or lawn. Have a candle ready to light.
25. Blow up a bunch of helium balloons and tie a blank note to each one. Carry them around in your trunk, and when something good happens to you, pull out a balloon and write on the note “I’m grateful for ___.” Then release the balloon.
26. Watch this video, and/or this video.
27. Get out and see some fireworks on the Fourth of July.
28. Establish your own country or religion. Mine is “The Friendly but Unpredictable Dictatorship of Tedsmania.” The state religion “Tedleyism”
29. Celebrate your independence from: what people think of you, barfy emotions such as self pity, fast food, complaining, the past, worrying about the future, and silly statements such as “Sorry, I don’t sing or dance.”

Did I leave anything out? Anything you want to add? Leave a comment!

Happy Summer!

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Your companion on the journey to transformation,

TMan