Stonehenge site for summer solstice celebration

Thousands of modern-day druids, pagans and partygoers converged on Stonehenge late Wednesday as people across the northern hemisphere prepared to welcome the summer solstice: the longest day of the year.

Thursday's sunrise will be welcomed by about 20,000 people expected to crowd around the ancient circle of stones in Wiltshire, southern England.

Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar. People in many countries still celebrate with bonfires, maypole dances, and courtship rituals.

In more recent years, New Age groups and others have turned to Stonehenge to celebrate the solstice, and the World Heritage Site has become a magnet for those seeking a spiritual experience, or just wanting to have a good time.