47 Sun-sational Summer Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published March 28, 2017Updated July 11, 2024

The word “summer” is from the Proto-Indo-European root *sam-, meaning summer. The root *sam is a variant from the Proto-Indo-European root *sem-, which means “together/one.”_[29]
The “dog days of summer” refer to the weeks between July 3 and August 11 and are named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the Canis Major constellation. The ancient Greeks blamed Sirius for the hot temperatures, drought, discomfort, and sickness that occurred during the summer._[10]
Summer is the by far the busiest time at movie theaters, and Hollywood always hopes to earn a significant portion of total annual ticket sales through summer blockbuster months. To date, the top 10 most famous summer blockbusters of all time are 1) Jaws (1975), 2) The Omen (1976), 3) Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), 4) Grease (1978), 5) Alien (1979), 6) Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, 7) Raiders of of Lost Ark (1981), 8) E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982), 9) Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), and 10) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom._[4]
The top 5 most popular summer vacation activities in the United States are 1) shopping (54%), 2) visiting historical sites (49%), 3) swimming/water sports (49%), 4) going to a park or national park (46%), and 5) sightseeing tours (46%)._[6]

The Eiffel Tower is 6 inches taller in the summer than in the winter

In the summer heat, the iron in France’s Eiffel Tower expands, making the tower grow more than 6 inches._[30]
The month of June was named after either Juniores, the lower branch of the roman Senate, or Juno, the wife of Jupiter._[18]
Marc Antony named the month of July, in honor of Julius Caesar._[18]
The month of August was named for Julius Caeser’s adopted nephew Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius, who held the title “Augustus.” He named the month after himself._[18]
“September” is from the Latin word septem, meaning “seven.”_[18]
Both “equinox” and “solstice” refer to the path of the sun throughout the year. During a solstice, the sun is either at its northernmost point (Tropic of Cancer) or it is at its southernmost point (Tropic of Capricorn). An equinox is either of the two days each year when the sun crosses the equator and both day and night are equally long._[10]
The word “solstice” is from the Latin solstitium, which is from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop) because it seems as if the sun stops at the solstice._[11]
In the Northern Hemisphere, summer solstice occurs sometime between June 20 and June 22, and between December 20 and December 23 in the Southern Hemisphere._[5]
Scientists argue that summer babies are significantly more likely to suffer from mood swings than babies born in other seasons._[17]
Every summer solstice, over 37,000 people gather at Stonehenge for one of the most ancient summer solstice celebrations. Druids and pagans are among those who celebrate the longest day of the year at this notable place._[9]

And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Suicides actually increase during the summer months. Research suggests several reasons, including increased interaction with other people and seasonal hormonal changes._[25]
Around the summer solstice, some Christians celebrate St. John’s Eve, which marks the birth of John the Baptist. John supposedly was born 6 months before Christ, which is traditionally considered to be around December 24._[10]
The word “season” is from the Old French season, which means “sowing/planting” or “seed time.”_[24]
While rare, the plague is more readily contracted and spread during the warm summer months, particularly in the western U.S._[22]
Summer babies are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and are less likely to be vaccinated against the flu, which makes them more likely to become ill. Additionally, because summer babies are typically the youngest children in each school class, their relative immaturity can affect the quality of their education._[14]

Summer babies are statistically less likely to perform well in school

Studies show that men are more likely to cheat during the summer months._[21]
Warmer weather causes certain diseases to peak during the summer, such as Valley Fever, West Nile Lyme Disease, and food poisoning._[22]
Leprosy is more readily contracted during the summer. Each year about 150 Americans contract leprosy, the same skin-disease that is mentioned in the Bible. In the United States, the source of leprosy is usually armadillos. The disease is transmitted when people, particularly in the southern U.S., hunt, kill, and eat infected armadillo._[22]
The first Olympic Games in the modern era were the 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens, Greece. The Games featured the Panathinaiko Stadium, the first giant stadium of the modern world that housed the largest crowd to ever watch a sporting event._[31]
According to custom, in the United States, a person can wear white pants only during the summer, or between Memorial Day and Labor Day._[18]
A ubiquitous summer treat is watermelon. Watermelon is part of the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash family and consists of 92% water. On average, Americans consume 15 pounds of watermelon annually._[30]

Watermelon is a classic summer treat

Popsicles, a popular summer treat, was accidentally invented by an 11-year-old boy in San Francisco in 1905. He left a glass of soda sitting outside and by the next morning the soda had frozen. He began selling them at an amusement park in New Jersey. In the U.S., cherry is the number 1 flavor._[19]
July, the hottest summer month in the Northern Hemisphere, is National Ice Cream Month, not surprisingly. Americans eat an average 20 quarts of ice cream a year. Vanilla is the most popular flavor, with chocolate coming in a distant second._[28]
Violent crimes such as mass shootings and aggravated assault increase during the summer months. Scientists note that heat increases heart rate, blood pressure, and overall discomfort, which leads to more aggression. Additionally, there is more free time to spend outside, allowing for more opportunities for altercations._[15]
Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night's Dream takes place on Midsummer’s Eve, a time that Elizabethans would have associated with celebration. The summer solstice was associated with dancing drinking, mystery, and magic. In his bewitching play, Shakespeare captures the festive atmosphere of the season and even includes some summer rituals._[3]

Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night's Dream takes place on Midsummer’s Eve, a time that Elizabethans would have associated with celebration.

“Summer Penile Syndrome” is a seasonal skin disease. Characterized by an acute penis hypersensitivity, swelling, itching, and painful urination, the disease is caused by chigger bites to the penis, most often during the warm summer months._[26]
Summer time, specifically between Memorial Day and Labor Day, is the deadliest season for drivers aged 15–20._[8]
Many ancient civilizations celebrated the summer solstice. For example, the ancient Greeks celebrated the agriculture god Cronus; the ancient Romans paid tribute to Vesta, the goddess of the hearth; and the ancient Chinese honored femininity and the force known as yin._[18]
Many Native Americans held ritual dances to honor the sun during the summer solstice. For example, the Sioux would set up teepees in a circle to represent the cosmos, and participants would decorate their bodies in the symbolic colors of the sun: red (sunset), blue (sky), yellow (lightning), and black (night)._[18]
Before the Civil War, schools did not have summer vacation. In rural communities, kids had school off during the spring planting and fall harvest while urban schools were essentially year-round. The long summer holiday didn’t come about until the early 20th century._[18]

Children are more likely to gain weight over the summer

Children are more likely to gain weight over the summer because they are less active, are more likely to have an inconsistent sleep schedule, and they tend to eat more junk food._[7]
The top five most dangerous summer activities are 1) unsupervised play around water, 2) swimming in the ocean, 3) sunburns, 4) riding bikes without helmets, and 5) lighting fireworks._[13]
Studies reveal that most American babies are born in the late summer (August, July, September, and October, in that order) while the least busy months are February, January, and March._[20]
According to Rolling Stone, the top 10 best summer songs of all time are 1) The Beach Boys, "California Girls," 2) Alice Cooper, "School's Out," 3) The Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the City." 4) The Go-Gos, "Vacation," 5) Bryan Adams, "Summer of 69," 6) The Beatles, "Here Comes the Sun," 7) Sly and the Family Stone, "Hot Fun in the Summertime," 8) Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer," 9) Martha and the Vandelles, "Heat Wave," and 10 Eddie Cochran, "Summertime Blues."_[23]
In some European pagan traditions, picking certain plants, such as roses, verbena, rue, and St. John’s wort on the summer solstice gave them certain properties that they wouldn’t have if they were picked at any other time._[11]
A group of researchers found that tweets around the world were more positive as their region approached the summer solstice than those who lived in parts of the world that were approaching the winter solstice._[11]

About one shot-glass worth of sunscreen is enough to cover the body

Many yoga groups participate in mass yoga celebrations on the summer solstice. They see the summer solstice as a sacred transition in the flow of life on earth and a time to do sun salutations._[2]
While January is the most popular time of the year for divorce, there is also another spike in July/August. Many parents file divorce before the school year starts because they are considering relocating or enrolling their children in a new school district._[16]
Because light affects infradian, circadian, and ultraradian rhythms, summer affects moods and behavior. Scientists have observed seasonal rhythms in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, rate of calorie consumption, and sleep patterns._[5]
Summer solstice celebrations often involve dancing around a maypole (although some countries celebrate with maypoles in the spring). Maypoles have variously been interpreted as a phallic symbol, as a symbol of the world axis, as a remnant of sacred trees, or as the growth of vegetation._[10]
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat over 7 billion hot dogs._[1]
Pre-Christian pagan cultures believed that lighting and jumping over bonfires on Midsummer Eve's brought good luck and kept demons away._[12]
For Americans, the top three global travel spots are 1) Cancun, 2) London, and 3) Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The top three domestic summer travel destinations are 1) Las Vegas, Nevada 2) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and 3) Orlando, Florida._[27]