June 24 marks the feast day of St. John the Baptist at about the time of midsummer.  Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but commonly refers to event surrounding the 24th of June and the preceding evening. The celebration of Midsummer's Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice from the time before Christianity

What significance does June 24 hold? Currently it follows about three days after the date of the Summer solstice—the time when the tilt of the Earth's axis is orientated the most toward the Sun, causing the rising of the Sun to reach its northernmost extreme. The name solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in its apparent movement north or south. At the Summer solstice the Earth is positioned so that the North Pole is leaning 23-and-a-half degrees toward the sun. As seen from Earth, the sun is directly overhead at noon 23-and-a-half degrees north of the equator, at an imaginary line encircling the globe known as the Tropic of Cancer (from Latin tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Greek tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change, or to the solstice" from trope "a turning". The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky). This is as far north as the sun ever gets, and all locations north of the equator have day lengths greater than 12 hours. The Summer solstice is the time on this world when there is the greatest amount of light possible, for it is the longest duration of daylight during the year with all of the implications that this brings—more growth, pleasure, activity, educational opportunity, and more. But after the summer solstice the Earth’s axis begins to move away from the sun and the light of the sun begins to decrease, as the days get ever shorter. So June 24, while associated with the Solstice, comes AFTER the solstice rather than upon it. Are their other significancies to the 24th of June?

The Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist falls on June 24. St. John was a Jewish preacher and ascetic who drew large crowds on the banks of the Jordon River. His message was a demand for repentance from evil ways, and baptism in view of the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God.  Early church tradition describes John as endowed with prenatal grace. The Gospel of Luke tells us that John was the child of Zachariah and Elizabeth whose birth was foretold by the angel Gabriel. Both Zachariah and his wife were of the priestly lineage; Zachariah of the line of Abijah and Elizabeth of the daughters of Aaron. Therefore John automatically held the priesthood of Aaron. On the basis of Luke’s account of John’s birth, the Catholic Church celebrates the birth of John six months before the birth of Jesus, which, of course, is celebrated at Christmas.

The question naturally arises, then, as to why the celebration for the birth of John falls on June 24 rather than June 25 if the date is to be precisely six months before Christmas. The festival falls on June 24 because of the Roman way of counting, which proceeded backward from the first day of the succeeding month. Christmas was "the eighth day before the First of January". Consequently, Saint John's Nativity was put on the "eighth day before the First of July." However, since June has only thirty days, in our present calendar, the feast falls on June 24.

The significance of the feast falling around the time of the solstice is considered by many to be significant, recalling the words of John the Baptist with regard to Jesus: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). With the Birth of Christ celebrated following the Winter solstice, the “light” starts to increase with each passing day. With the celebration of St. John’s Birth following the Summer solstice the “light” begins to decrease with each passing day, as the days grow shorter. In other words at the Summer solstice the light begins to decrease, while at the Winter solstice the light begins to increase.

There is a tradition from “time immemorial” for celebrations at the Summer Solstice. Bonfires celebrations, parties and observances are documented, but perhaps one of the better descriptions of this day is "Joy, which is the characteristic of the day, radiated from the sacred precincts. The lovely summer nights, at St. John's tide, gave free scope to popular display of lively faith among various nationalities. Scarce had the last rays of the setting sun died away when, all the world over, immense columns of flame arose from every mountain-top, and in an instant, every town, and village, and hamlet was lighted up". The custom of the "St. John's fires", whatever its origin—Celtic or Christian—has, in certain regions, endured unto this day.

St. John’s Feast Day on June 24 marks the time when the light begins to fade. It marks a time when man shall require additional light, for the days grow shorter and colder, but there is ALWAYS hope. For the hope of the winter solstice and the celebration of the priest-king of the Order of Melchizedek shall mark the time when the light begins to grow ever stronger and ever longer. It is cause for joy, hope, and indeed a reason to celebrate the return of spiritual light to mankind. This is what makes June 24 a special time, for though darkness may prevail for a time there is always hope for the solstice, the turning back towards the strengthening of the light. As we celebrate St. John’s day with the lighting of our own fires, it brings new meaning to “you are the light of the world”, for as the light of the natural world decreases, our light serves as “the light of the world” until such time as “THE Light” returns.

Read more at our article June 24, John the Baptist, The Essenes and the Templars, a Ramble through History