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It's juhannuseve on friday It's a bankholiday in Finland Juhannus is on the opposite side of the year to christmas, and is considered a very important holiday among May 1., easter and christmas.

"Midsummer

Written for Virtual Finland by Joe Brady

Midsummer is surely the most harmonious of Finland's public holidays. Christmas is fine, too, of course, even with its commercial overkill. May Day is the most boisterous and boozy of all them all, but Midsummer brings out the best in everyone. Swedish speakers, who make up six per cent of Finland's population, call the day midsommar, easy for anglophones, while Finnish speakers refer to it as Juhannus, the Christian calendar's Feast of St John the Baptist.

The religious factor is hardly foremost, yet something metaphysical stirs inside the thousands of Finns who head for lakeside cabin or forest glade or parental home to commune with nature on Midsummer Eve and on into the luminous night. Even those left behind in town enjoy the peace that descends on streets emptied of cars and kids and commotion

The Finnish Literature Society's splendidly helpful cultural encyclopaedia of Finland, published in 1997, gives us the historical background to the festival, prosaically as follows: "The festival is celebrated on the Saturday that falls between 20th June and 26th June. Many of the customs associated with Midsummer's Day derive from the pre-Christian and pan-European festival of light and fertility that marked the summer solstice."

"The burning of the Midsummer kokko (bonfire), originally a tradition linked, in the north and east of the country, with beliefs concerning fertility, cleansing and the banishing of evil spirits, has in the 20th century spread throughout Finland. It has become the central element in the programme of commercial Midsummer festivities, along with music and dance. Homes are decorated with flowers and birch branches. A Midsummer pole reminiscent of an ornamental sailing mast is part of the Finland-Swedish tradition of southern Finland and Åland."

Sailing mast or fertility symbol, the Midsummer pole is closely akin to the maypole, known in the British Isles and other parts of Europe, around which people dance during May Day celebrations.

Juhannus is also Finland's Flag Day. According to the official rules, flags are raised at six in the evening on Midsummer's Eve and lowered at 21 hours on the evening of the following day."

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I've managed to get my mum to take care of the kids, just have no idea where I'm gonna go to celebrate.. We haven't really got much traditions when it comes to Juhannus, except staying at the summerhouse and lighting a huge kokko (bonfire). Oh, and oh course the finnish thing; drinking This year I think I'll go somewhere else. There's a big Juhannusfestival in Joensuu with fabulous artists like Lordi, so maybe I'll head there Wahey!!

Happy Juhannus, Liisi.

Today is Midsummer's Day. It could be daylight here until 11.00 p.m.

The pessimistic side of me is reminded that from tomorrow, the days are getting shorter - but the good side of that is that when December 21st comes, right in the depths of winter, the year turns, and the days start getting longer.

I enjoyed reading about Juhannus. Hope you have a great one!

Have fun Midsummer-party at festivals, Liisi! I'll follow my traditions at summer-cottage.

Have a fab time you Finns

If your festival is anything like the Midsummer celebrations in Norway you will have a great time Liisi

Enjoy yourself

Woah, that was some Juhannus... Still feeling abit psychotic after all the lack of sleep and running around. But I had a fabulous time

Nice to hear that you've had great time last weekend, Liisi!

And thanks for the wishes! Having a Midsummer-Party in Scandinavia is always fun fun fun! It's a traditional pagan party from ancient times.

Mine was as usual but fun at summer cottage by the lake: fly a flag, playing with children (making bark boats, catching dragonflys, having sauna, fishing, rowing and swimming in the middle of the night, staying awake almost the whole night in a good company, playing Mölkky and other party games, shooting, sailing, eating, drinking, motor boating, etc. etc.) - a little bit different type of running around within three days. I took a lots of pictures but can't show them over here because BBFans don't use anymore attachments.