Summer has arrived in Finland. Everything is blooming as the whole country bathes in light. The sun hardly sets at night and the nature is full of life. It is midsummer and that’s when we celebrate juhannus in Finland. Juhannus means quite literally the celebration of light and midsummer.
Originally juhannus was a pagan celebration, a tribute to the god of thunder, Ukko. It was celebrated in order to ensure good harvest and fertility. Ancient traditions included for example magic, foretelling the future and burning bonfires. Also drinking and getting drunk have always played a significant role in celebrating juhannus as those were believed to bring good luck and expel evil spirits. According to some sources it was even believed that more drunk you got the better the harvest was 😂
While most of the ancient traditions have been abandoned the bonfires are still an important part of celebrating juhannus. Burning the juhannuskokko is an event many cities across Finland host and some Finns even have a bonfire of their own. However in the Swedish-speaking coastal areas of Finland people also erect maypoles (juhannussalko) decorated with flowers and leaves.
Juhannuskokko. This picture is not mine; I borrowed it from here.
Many Finns celebrate juhannus by retreating to their summer cottages with their family and friends. Sauna, swimming, eating and of course drinking are the activities most Finns spend their juhannus with. A lot of beer and sausages are being sold! Juhannus is also a popular time for weddings as the celebration has been linked to marriages since the ancient times.
A lone sauna on the shore of an island in the Baltic Sea.
Enjoy the summer, love each other, take care and most importantly: hyvää juhannusta!
@missy @penny @lemon @sean
