midsummer bonfire

June 21, 24: Midsummer

midsummer bonfire
Midsummer bonfire

Midsummer celebrates the earth, summer, and the longest day of sunlight, Summer Solstice, June 21. The word solstice comes from the Latin word sol, meaning sun, and stice, to stand still. During summer solstice, the sun reaches its highest point in the sky creating the longest day of the year. In the North, it’s 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 in many places, it now honors St. John the Baptist rather than pagan gods. Many places celebrate Midsummer on St. John’s Day, June 24. However, Sweden keeps the two holidays separate. Midsummer is celebrated on the weekend closest to St. John’s Day. Several other countries, such as France and Hungary, celebrate on the 24th as well.

Midsummer celebrations are celebrated all over, including parts of the United States and British Columbia. The most common tradition is large bonfires and jumping over them for luck.

Midsummer Traditions and Customs

The Midsummer Festival is known as Juhannus Day in Finland and Midsommar in Denmark and Norway. The Midsummer Festival is a hundred-year-old Scandinavian tradition. Huge bonfires are built. People jump over the bonfires for luck. In Finland, the bonfire is called a “kokko.” The wood 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.

gathering flowers

In Sweden, maypoles are erected and danced about. Huge crosses called a “midsommarstoeng” are also built. Branches from birch trees are used to build the structure, then it’s 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 that gathered on the leaves and flowers on the Midsummer’s night was collected 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. Cows’ milk may be bewitched the night before, so cows were kept safe inside. “Only after the dew had gone away, may the cows go out to graze.”

In Brazil, it’s called Festas Juninas, also known as Festas de São João. Celebrated on the 24th. It’s mid-winter and coincides with the end of the rainy season. The festival is primarily celebrated by rural farmers, known as caipiras. Men dress up as farm boys with large straw hats and women wear pigtails, freckles, painted gap teeth and red-checkered dresses. There are bonfires, music, and dancing. Games are also popular, and have a focus on children such as three-legged races and ring tosses.

In Bulgaria anyone seeing the sunrise will have good health for the coming year. Women gather 77 and a half herbs before dawn “ for all diseases and for the nameless disease.” A fire ritual may also occur. It’s a barefoot dance on smoldering embers.

More Midsummer Things to Do:

⇴ images from Pixabay.com

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