Why we love Summer!

Summer is the best time of the year right? This is often a debate people differ on, with some claiming Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. Although its very lovely to stay in and cosy up in front of the fire, whilst being swamped with blankets and hot chocolate, watching the traditional Christmas TV on those winter evenings, does that compare to those long summer days? As much as I enjoy listening to George Michael's Last Christmas and watching the multiple TV Christmas specials, it seems that winter is stereotypically a time to retreat from society, stay indoors and well, keep warm! Summer is about exploring, spending time with friends and enjoying Pimms o'clock whilst watching the Wimbledon mens final!

Even though I was born in the middle of January, the winter for me does not simply match up to the summer for my favourite season. I think for many young people this is the case, the holidays, the house parties, the going out and seeing the sunrise. Just the prospect of summer excites many people! The whole build up to that anticipated season is huge! The initial excitement for summer really begins when the summer clothes catalogues begin to appear in shops or in the post if your a bit of a shopoholic like myself. Then there is a holiday to consider, where will you go?  That first warm day when the sunglasses are rediscovered in a draw, the shorts are first out and that smell of BBQ in the evening, coupled with that sip of cider makes us feel content right? That day only heightens our anticipation for the peak of the summer months when the majority (as I am British) of days are like that. It has actually been scientifically proven that exposure to the sun, makes us happier! Those winter blues are not just myth but are true. The lack of exposure to the sun can lead to such things as vitamin D sufficiency, fertility problems, general poor health and most significantly depression.  

So despite science, why does the summer make us feel good? Maybe its because we can finally enjoy that holiday which has been booked since February and we have worked hard for. Or its because we can sit out in beer gardens in the late evening and not feel cold. For me, summer is the biggest party season of the year. As a university student, its true, I party all year round, but there is most certainly a significant difference to going out in a coat and jeans to going out in a skirt and cami! Trust me it makes all the difference. Summer is about festivals, good sport, sunning it up and comparing your glow with friends and enjoying those drawn out evenings with most probably an alcoholic beverage of some sort. As I said previously, summer is the time for parties; parities by the pool, house parties or just evenings with friends. I mean I'm not even talking about a Project X style house party, just summer sunshine, friends and the summer charts. Now, when hearing old songs play, they transport you back to a memory or event, for example Daft Punk's Get Lucky takes me back a year to last summer, but there is something about music in the summer which just makes it more special. There has always been a song from recent summers which reminds me of all those memories, and whenever I listen to it I am transported back to that summer heat and I love that!

Well, what about this summer? So its still very early, however I am sure you are all counting down those days until your holiday, I certainly am! We are currently on the brink of summer, that final stage of anticipation, now the summer clothes have taken over our shops and have entered our wardrobes, along with the sandals and sunglasses. The evenings are long and beautiful and we can now eat ice cream with an excuse for it being a snack which will cool us down. The only thing left to do now is gather those last holiday goodies, enjoy the sunshine (how infrequent it may be) and smile, because summer has virtually arrived!