It is summer solstice again! Let the bonfires burn all-night long, both hours!

Juhannus, the Summer Solstice, is the second most important holyday, only second to Chirstmass. The latter is the darkest day of the year, only few hours of daylight, today even here in the very south (Helsinki) the daylight will last 18 h 56 min. Sun rose at 3:54 am and set at 22:50 pm (UTC+3.). Bonfires are lit in homage to Mielikki, Tapio, Ilmatar and other dead gods. To create a gloomy light in the non-night, to create a visible link between every village, town, hamlet and city over the North. Surely this is the most magikal night in the year.

How do you celebrate the night of the midsummer, or do you celebrate it at all?

Hyvää Juhannusta! Happy Midsummer!

 

You do not celebrate midsummer? How weird, then again I guess celebrating midsummer must be a northern thing, the annual cycle of seasons effects our lives so much here. On the other hand it is very interesting that even a millennium of Christianity have failed to convert or eradicate this pagan tradition. The bonfires are lit just like they were lit in the prehistoric days.

Few years ago my friend’s Canadian fiancé visited him during the midsummer and was astonished to find our cities empty and all restaurants closed. Every single Finn able had left to spend midsummer with family and friends in some cottage hidden in some forest on some riverbank or lakeshore. It is a weird feeling to light a bonfire on a lakeshore in middle of nowhere, just to see other bonfires lit all around the lake never being able to see any manmade structures (the law dictates that no building is allowed to be seen from the lake). To know that you are alone with your close ones, yet that you are not alone. My American parents who visited us in the summer 2008 could not grasp it, they grew bored in all the peace and quiet in our summer cottage, and perhaps they suffered some cabin fever.

Working nights? I did that for five summers, kinda liked it. No need to use an alarm clock, just sleep as long as one wishes. But it was difficult to go to sleep after work, especially because of the intense summer sunlight. Then again, I have never had a typical ninetofive job. Nowadays I do 12h sift from 6 am to 6 pm and the waking up part is the most difficult one, I can tell you.

 

We would have a very hard time lighting a fire this time of year here in the tropics.

It's either raining, just rained, or getting ready to rain.