The summer solstice 2018 is happening on Tuesday, June 21.

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Here are eight things to know about the longest day of the year:

• The word solstice comes from the Latin word for Sun, or sol, and sistere, which means to come to a stop or stand still.
• On the day of the summer solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position as seen from the Earth.
• All over the world, the solstice happens at the same time.
• The summer solstice marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
• It’s the day in which the Earth is the farthest from the sun throughout the course of the year.
• Although you have the most sunlight on this day, it is not the hottest day of the year. This day comes a few weeks or months after the solstice because it takes time for the oceans and landmasses to warm up, which leads to higher air temperatures in a phenomenon called the delay or lag of the seasons.
• On the summer solstice, the Arctic Circle receives 24 hours of daylight because of its location.
• The day is celebrated all throughout the world with different dances, traditions, rituals, feasts and more to give thanks to the changing of the seasons and the beginning of the warmest period of the year.