Before 1316, the summer solstice was called Ukon juhla, after the Finnish god Ukko. In e.g. Karelian tradition, many bonfires were burned side by side, the biggest of which was called Ukko-kokko (the "bonfire of Ukko"). After the celebrations were Christianized, the holiday is known as juhannus after John the Baptist (Finnish: Johannes Kastaja).
Since 1955, the holiday is always on a Saturday (between June 20th and June 26th). Earlier it was always on June 24th.
In the Finnish midsummer celebration, bonfires (Finnish kokko)are very common and are burnt at lakesides and by the sea. Often two young birch trees (koivu) are placed on either side of the front door to welcome visitors. In Midsummer night the sauna is typically heated and family and friends are invited to bathe and to grill.
In folk magic, midsummer was a very potent night and the time for many small rituals, mostly for young maidens seeking suitors and fertility. Will o wisps were believed to be seen at midsummer night, particularly to finders of the mythical "fern in bloom" and possessors of the "fern seed", marking a treasure. An important feature of the midsummer in Finland is the white night and the midnight sun. Because of Finland's location spanning around the Arctic Circle the nights near the midsummer day are short or non-existent. This gives a great contrast to the darkness of the winter time.
Many music festivals of all sizes are organized on the Midsummer weekend. It's also common to start summer holidays on Midsummer day. For many families the Midsummer is the time when they move to the countryside to their summer cottage by the lake. Often Finns spend the whole of July at the summer cottages. Midsummerday is also the Day of the Finnish Flag. The flag is hoisted at 6 pm on Midsummer eve and flown all night till 9 pm the following evening.
"Juhannus"
Tomorrow we celebrate my favorite Finnish holiday,Juhannus. I like it even more than Christmas. When I married Timo I was introduced to the most fascinating country in the world and that is Finland. His mom was born and raised in Finland and then moved to the USA and eventually married Timo's dad. Timo served his LDS mission in Finland and was able to teach many of his family members including his grandma (mummo).
Well, in Finland the winters are very hard and long. The temperature goes way below zero and it is dark most of the winter. My mother in law often talks about when she was little if the sun came out at all during the day they would stop everything and run out side no matter how cold it was. It was a rare event. So, after spending a very long winter you can imagine what summer means to them. First of all the summer solstice in Finland means that at night it doesn't get dark at all. All night it is light outside. So, the celebration of summer begins and is enjoyed throughout the country all night long. It is a fun day and is almost like valentines here. Lots of people get married on Juhannus. Timo's parents did so they will be celebrating their anniversary this weekend. Its also a joke about how many babies in Finland are born in March.
Well, let me tell you how we celebrate Juhannus. Everyone in Timo's family comes over to our house. We cook Makkarra (sausage) and Nakki (hot dogs). We eat rye bread and cold cuts. We have lots of cheese, finn crisp and a lemon drink called sima. We have tomatoes and cucumber and hopefully next year fresh potatoes. Timo's mom makes a some desserts and his sister makes a bread called pulla. We have others bring some American food. We build a fire and we eat and enjoy each others company. Since it does get dark here the party doesn't last all night but we still have fun. After everyone has left we take a sauna. In Finland it is tradition to jump in a freezing cold lake after you sauna but here we have a tub filled with cold water. The kids love it but I can do without the cold water. You must be at least 1/4 Finnish to do that. Its always a fun and relaxing evening.
I was actually in Finland (1997) during Juhannus and it was really fun. I was expecting my son at the time so trying to stay up all night was impossible but now I would love to go back and try it again. I think I could do it.
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