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Midsummer
Festival
by W.Holidays
Known as Juhannus Day in Finland and Midsommar in Denmark and Norway,
The Midsummer Festival is a hundred-year-old Scandinavian tradition. It
celebrates the earth, summer, and the longest day of sunlight, Summer
Solstice (which falls on June 21st). The word solstice comes from the
Latin word sol meaning sun and stice to stand still. During summer
solstice the sun will reach its highest point in the sky creating the
longest day of the year. In the North, it is the time of the midnight
sun as the sun drops to just below the horizon and the night never
reaches complete darkness.
Many cultures have held celebrations of the Summer Solstice including
the Egyptians, Africans, the Druids, and the Incas. As with most Old
World celebrations, Christianity has influenced some of the traditions.
The festival is enjoyed by all, but it now honors St. John the Baptist
rather than pagan gods. Many places celebrate Midsummer on St. John's
Day, June 24th. However, Sweden keeps the two holidays separate.
Midsummer is celebrated on the weekend closest to St. John's Day.
 Huge bonfires are built. In
pagan times people would jump over the bonfires for luck. In Finland,
the bonfire is called a "kokko". The wood that's used has been
collected throughout the year. Homes are decorated with garlands of
wildflowers and greenery. People dance, visit friends and relatives all
night. Ancient ritualistic dances used to be performed to drive away
evil spirits and ensure a fertile land. Today, the dances are
just for fun. In Sweden, maypoles are erected and danced about. Huge
crosses called a "midsommarstoeng" are also built. The branches from birch
trees are used to build the structure, then it is covered with leaves
and flowers.
 Traditions include girls
collecting seven to nine different wildflowers and placing them under
their pillows in hopes of dreaming of their future loves. Boys use a
copper coin. In ancient days, it was believed that on this one night
ferns would blossom. Only the true of heart would be able to
find the rare fern flower. Herbs were also gathered, especially St.
John's Wort. People used it in potions, wove it into garlands, and
burnt it atop bonfires to protect livestock. Dew was collected that
gathered on the leaves and flowers on the Midsummer's night as it was
supposed to hold magical healing properties. Witch Ladder's were built
by tying feathers into a special braided cord while making several
wishes. Midsummer was and is a popular time to wed under the midnight
sun.
An emphasis is put on dairy products and cows. It was believed that a
cows' milk may be bewitched the night before and so cows were kept safe
inside. "Only after the dew had gone away, may the cows go out to
graze."
Midsummer celebrations are celebrated all over, including parts of the
United States and British Columbia.
Midsummer
Craft:
Sun
Prints
skill level: easy
cost: $5-$20*
craft time: 15 minutes
* If you use construction paper this will be under $5.
sun-sensitive paper, blueprint paper or even dark construction paper
cardboard
objects to print it necklaces, fern leaves, flowers, twigs, plastic
toys...
bowl
water
Place sun-sensitive paper, green side up and white side down, on top of
cardboard.
Place objects on top of paper.
Place the paper in bright sun for about 8 minutes. Dont over expose.
Rinse the paper by submerging it in a bowl of water and shaking it
vigorously underwater, not needed is using construction paper.
Lay the paper flat on a stack of paper towels and blot and let dry.
*To different light intensity, add objects at different times.
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