Midsummer in Finland

Midsummer Haiku:

Bonfire rises

Wildflowers crown pretty heads

Daylight never ends

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Midsummer

I am spending Midsummer (called Juhannus, in Finnish) in Finland because Finland is the place to be in the summer. For someone who doesn’t tolerate heat weaves or anything above +20 celsius it makes sense. Forests and lakes and free wild berries and the Midnight Sun is pretty much all you really need to enjoy the summer.

This weekend, the Midsummer celebrations are in full swing. It’s Finland’s biggest celebration which combines pagan roots with modern holiday spirit. This means an escape to the forest, to the solitude of the summer cottages by a lake, where you can dip into the coolish water for a little refreshing after a traditional Midsummer wood-heated sauna session with friends.

Late in the evening today, 20th June (Midsummer Eve), it’s time to gather by a lake or the sea to light a huge communal bonfire (Juhannuskokko) at midnight and let it burn deep into the light-lit night, dance and celebrate the Solstice. This is also the “nightless night,” when the Sun doesn’t set at all.

What follows is a return to nature, the summer cottage, fishing, picking berries, and gathering mushrooms. Food traditionally eaten during Midsummer includes new potatoes with dill, grilled sausages, herring, fish, seasonal berries (especially strawberries), and ice-cream, of course.

Most of the local population retreats to the forests to spend at least a month there. The cities in the whole country are all pretty deserted during summer, which you can either love or hate. Many tourists wonder where did everyone go, those who know to laugh in secret, enjoying the quiet streets, especially during Midsummer as stores close on Friday afternoon (Midsummer Eve) and remain closed all Saturday (Midsummer), and public transport is limited.

It’s well known that the only real traffic jam known in Finland is during Midsummer, when thousands of people leave their homes and cities to disappear into the countryside.

Those remaining in Helsinki gather by the Baltic sea, a lake, and also head to Seurasaari, an island in Helsinki for a communal bonfire spectacle and the ambience in the city, and picnics on Midsummer day.

One tradition that has been passed for generations is about folk magic and romance. Girls gather seven different wild flowers from a forest and place them under their pillow on Midsummer Eve. The legend says that they will dream of their future spouse.

Midsummer celebrations are quite magical and last only for two days but the intensity of it gives people the energy to face the long winters, waiting for the next Midsummer to celebrate once again.

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I wrote this for the Mickeydred‘s unofficial June challenge: