• Wind, rain and mud greet revelers on summer solstice at Stonehenge

    Matt Cardy / Getty Images

    Gleu Sunpooja stands in front of Stonehenge as solstice revelers celebrate the arrival of the midsummer sunrise at the megalithic monument on June 21, 2012 near Salisbury, England.

    Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

    A man playing an accordion beneath a costume of torn fabrics and a child leave Stonehenge during the summer solstice after 4:52 am BST on June 21, 2012.

    Rain-sodden crowds welcomed a spectacularly soggy summer solstice at Stonehenge in true British fashion Thursday: With stoicism and wit. But through the wind and rain, drummers inside the ancient stone circle kept up their thumping rhythm, new age pagans continued with their chaotic dance, and visitors didn't lose their sense of humor. 

    Stonehenge is a celebrated venue of festivities during the summer solstice - the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere - attracting thousands of revelers, spiritualists and tourists. Druids, a pagan religious order dating back to Celtic Britain, believe Stonehenge was a center of spiritualism more than 2,000 years ago. 

    -- Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report

     Previously on PhotoBlog:

    Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

    People gather during the summer solstice at Stonehenge on June 21, 2012.

    Kieran Doherty / Reuters

    A reveler prays during the summer solstice at the ancient Stonehenge monument on June 21, 2012.

    Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

    People gather during the summer solstice at Stonehenge on June 21, 2012.

    Clouds and rain greeted thousands of tourists gathering Stonehenge in celebration of the summer solstice. Msnbc.com's Alex Witt reports.

    Slideshow: Summertime living

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    Celebrating the warm summer months, as schools let out and the cooling off begins.

    Launch slideshow

     

  • New agers gather at Stonehenge for summer solstice, sun shows up late

    Around 18,000 neo-pagans, new agers and curious visitors gathered in heavy rain Tuesday morning to watch the sun rise over the ancient stone circle at Stonehenge in southern England, the AP reported.

    The celebrations are a modern twist on solstice celebrations that were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar.

    There were cheers as the sun finally broke through the clouds more than a couple of hours after sunrise.

    Kieran Doherty / Reuters

    A druid plays a guitar during incantations at the summer solstice ceremony at Stonehenge on Salisbury plain in southern England on June 21. Stonehenge is a celebrated venue of festivities during the summer solstice - the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere - and it attracts thousands of revellers, spiritualists and tourists. Druids, a pagan religious order dating back to Celtic Britain, believe Stonehenge was a centre of spiritualism more than 2,000 years ago.

    Kieran Doherty / Reuters

    Two druids walk across Salisbury Plain after celebrating the summer solstice ceremony.

    Matt Dunham / AP

    Revellers hug a stone during the summer solstice at Stonehenge.

    Matt Dunham / AP

    Revelers cheer and raise their faces skyward as the sun finally breaks through the clouds more than a couple of hours after sunrise during the summer solstice at Stonehenge.

    Read a story from space.com: What you don't know about the summer solstice and watch the video below.

    Thousands of revelers and druids spent the night at England's Stonehenge to watch the sun rise and mark the summer solstice. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.