Summer
Summer is a season that is astronomically defined as beginning around June 21, and ending around September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, summer begins around December 21 and ends around March 21. Summer is defined by convention in meteorology as the whole months of June, July, and August, in the Northern Hemisphere, and the whole months of December, January, and February, in the Southern Hemisphere. The unofficial start of summer is a matter of convention: in Ireland it is as early as May 1, in many countries it is considered to be June 1, while in others it is as late as July 1. In general, seasonal changes occur earlier in coastal regions, so countries close to the oceans go for an earlier start to summer than inland ones. Summer is commonly viewed as the season with the longest (and warmest) days of the year.
For many people in the West, the seasons are considered to start at the equinoxes and solstices in an "astronomical" sense. However, because the seasonal lag is less than 1/8 of a year (except near large bodies of water), the "meteorological" start of the season precedes, by about three weeks, the start of the "astronomical" season. This time differential keeps the "meteorological" definition more symmetrically centered around the warmest part of the year than the "astronomical one" is. Today, the "meteorological" definition is gaining momentum, but the "astronomical" definition is more frequent, and most people today still regard it as "official". In fact, the equinoxes and solstices of the astronomical seasons are considered to be the naturally official beginnings of seasons. The astronomical seasons still appear on most calendars. Elsewhere, however, the solstices and the equinoxes are taken to mark the mid-points, not the beginning, of the seasons. In Chinese astronomy, for example, summer starts on or around May 6, with the jiéqì (solar term) known as Lixia i.e. "establishment of summer". An example of Western usage would be William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, where the play takes place over the shortest night of the year, which is the summer solstice.
In Southern and Southeast Asia where the monsoon occurs, summer is more generally defined as March to May or early June, their warmest time of the year, ending with the onset of the monsoon rains.
In most countries children are out of school during this time of year, although dates vary. Some begin as early as mid-May, although in England, from the ages of 5-16, school ends in the middle of July. In the Southern Hemisphere, school holiday dates include the major holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day. Summer school holidays in Australia begin a few days before Christmas and end in late January to mid-February, with the dates varying from state to state. Summer is also the season in which many fruits, vegetables, and other plants are in full growth.
Summer in popular culture
There are many cultural associations with summer. Commercials touting summer may involve Beach imagery, including bathing suits, beach balls and surf boards. Summer clothing accounts for the effects of increased heat and sunshine, including but not limited to shorts, tee shirts, sun dresses, sunglasses, and sandals.
In the United States, Memorial Day, in late May, is the unofficial kickoff for summer and Labor Day, in early September, is the unofficial end of summer, with other peak summer travel occurring over July 4 weekend. Because schools let out in the summer, this season is common for travel, such as road trips. As a result of supply and demand, gas prices often tend to increase in the summer. Many students get summer jobs.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the major holidays that occur in summer are Christmas and New Year's Day. In Australia, businesses that choose to close during summer often have Christmas Day as the first day of the summer break. Depending on the length of the break chosen by the business, such businesses will reopen from the day after New Year's Day to the first week of February.
In late summer, back to school sales are common.
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