Why today is a special day: Father's Day, Yoga Day, Summer Solstice...

It's the longest day of the year today in the Northern Hemisphere, a phenomenon known as summer solstice. It also happens to be the shortest day in the Southern Hemisphere. This year, it will happen on June 21 at precisely 8:39pm UAE time (4:39 pm UTC).

But this year, June 21 is much more than just that – it's also Father’s Day today, as it is the first ever International Day of Yoga.

The World Music Day, also known as Fete de la Musique or Make Music Day, is an annual event celebrated on 21 June across the globe.

The World Music Day was kick started in 1982 in France and was made popular as Fete de la Musique (meaning festival of music in French) by then French Minister of Culture Jack Lang, according to the organisers of the international event, Make Music Day.

Here are some fun facts about today:

1. It's both Summer & Winter Solstice: June 21 is the longest day – summer solstice – in the Northern Hemisphere while it is the shortest day – winter solstice – in the Southern Hemisphere.

2. It is NOT the hottest day of the year: This should come as a respite to UAE residents. The hottest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere usually comes a few weeks or sometimes months after the solstice. This is because it takes time for the oceans and landmasses to warm up, which again allows for higher air temperatures. This phenomenon is called the delay or lag of the seasons.

3. Arctic Circle will have 24 hours of daylight today: The June Solstice is the only day of the year when all locations inside the Arctic Circle experience a continuous period of daylight for 24 hours. Due to atmospheric refraction, however, the Midnight Sun is visible for a few days before and on the June Solstice from areas as far as 97km south of the Arctic Circle. As one moves further north of the Arctic Circle, the number of days with the midnight sun increase.

4. It's Father's Day: Father's Day is observed on the third Sunday of June. It is a celebration honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It was created to complement Mother's Day.

5. It's International day of Yoga: June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014.
 
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice or discipline that originated in India. The declaration of this day came after the call by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014, wherein he stated: "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition.

It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being.

It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness within yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."

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