Nordic Culture and Customs: How much do You Know about Midsummer Festival?

Do you know the culture and customs of Nordic overseas holidays? When it comes to the festivals, cultures, and customs in northern Europe in summer, the first thing that comes to mind is the Midsummer Festival to be welcomed next.

Nordic Midsummer Festival

Midsummer Festival is an important traditional festival in northern European countries. The Midsummer Festival is held every Friday from June 19 to 25. Some people will not go to work on Thursday afternoon to prepare for the program of the Midsummer Festival, to welcome the traditional Midsummer Festival.

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and other Nordic countries are close to the Arctic, with long winter. The sun cannot be seen in most of these regions for almost half a year. Around the Midsummer Festival every year, these areas will usher in the sunniest season of the year. At the same time, the Midsummer Festival is also the longest day with almost no night. So people hold bonfire parties every year to celebrate the days when darkness recedes, light comes and all things strive for glory. After all, the cold winter nights and the sunny summer days are really pleasant.

The most important part of the Midsummer Festival is the bonfire party. According to the old tradition, the campfire must be lit by the newlyweds. People will wear national costumes to perform various traditional folk handicrafts, light a bonfire, and then sing and dance together to celebrate the midsummer night.

At first, the origin of the midsummer night was a Midsummer Festival set up to commemorate the summer solstice. However, since northern Europe became a Catholic Church, the affiliated church was set up to commemorate the birthday of John the Baptist (June 24). Later, its religious color gradually disappeared, gradually became a folk festival, and it was happily celebrated every year.

The customs of the Midsummer Festival in different regions will be slightly different.

Finland

Dancing and reveling by the lake in traditional costumes

Midsummer Festival is one of the important holidays in Finland. Finns attach great importance to Midsummer Festival. On this day, they will drive away from the city with their family and friends to holiday cottages or villages, relax or have carnival parties, and enjoy the summer sunshine!

Finns regard Midsummer Festival as the beginning of warm summer, and some people will take summer holidays from that day on. Because of the abundant sunshine, northern Finland holds various Festival parties and activities in June every year. And even at night in Finland during this period, the sun still bathes the earth and everywhere is bright. There will be no night.

The most traditional typical activities in the Midsummer Festival are to light a campfire and steam sauna. In addition, boating, barbecuing and fishing are also common activities. In the past, Finns used to use midsummer spells. Some people hoped that the land would be fertile and the crops would be bumper next year. Some singles would pray for their future spouses!

On the outskirts of Helsinki, there is a place called Seurasaari, where people hold summer wedding ceremonies. Midsummer Festival is a popular wedding day in Finland.

Many tourists and locals will come to this lovers island for sightseeing because there will be grand celebrations on the island. They will set up a stage and perform many performances. Tourists can see the traditional folk costumes of Finland on the island. The locals and tourists attracted by the Midsummer Festival enjoy the enthusiasm and beauty of summer here. They will dance together and revel together!

Denmark

Drink, picnic, light a bonfire

Danes and Finns celebrate Midsummer Festival in a somewhat different way. Danes don't drive to remote vacation houses or villages to light bonfires. Danes go to the seaside, the port, or the parks in Copenhagen to light bonfires. On the evening of June 23 every year, Danes go to places such as the sea, the port, or the park, and then set up high firewood stacks, and then put the prepared 'witch' puppets on the firewood stacks. Legend is a ceremony to celebrate the light and drive away from the darkness.

Many people say that Danes are masters at holding celebrations, perhaps because they like to indulge in booze and treat social gatherings seriously, so everyone says they are good at holding activities.

Many people say that Danes are masters at holding celebrations, perhaps because they like to indulge in booze and treat social gatherings seriously, so everyone says they are good at holding activities.

Danes will choose to burn a bonfire during the day and then hold a barbecue party at night. In the evening, there will be a bunch of bonfires at intervals along the Danish coast, and rock bands performing heartily on the stage. In addition, there will be some small stalls selling various local snacks nearby, so people can eat snacks while watching the performance. Danes bring their plastic sheets or blankets that can be spread on the ground so that they can sit directly on the ground. Some people will prepare their ovens and cook their barbecues.

Danes are addicted to alcohol. For them, Midsummer Festival is certainly an opportunity to drink beer. Danish people are drinking beer, listening to music, and watch performances. Some people will talk freely. The whole atmosphere is very happy. They can play from noon until midnight without interruption.

During the Midsummer Festival, Danes will hang the national flag everywhere. If they don't go to the seaside to watch the bonfire, they will get together with their neighbors on the same block. Every year, they will take turns to host, set up barbecues in their yard, prepare all kinds of food for everyone to share, eat and drink until the evening, and then start lighting the bonfire.

Norway

Burning the world's tallest bonfire tower

Norway celebrates Midsummer Festival on June 23 every year. Norwegians burn bonfires in the middle of the night, and their bonfires are as high and vast as their national landscape! I must be surprised to see my friends for the first time! Every year, many people come here to see the tallest bonfire tower in the world!

The Norwegians will set up a 40-meter high and 20-meter wide wooden tower next to the seaport of the city of Å LESUND, which will be lit by 30 to 40 strong men. This 40-meter-high fire column of the tower is burning into the sky. It's amazing! If you have a chance to go, you must go to the Norwegian city of Å LESUND to see the bonfire tower they built by manpower! What you see must be different from what you feel in the photo. You will never forget it once you see it.

After the campfire was lit, everyone danced traditional dances around the campfire. Adults and children played games happily, which was very lively. But not everyone likes the excitement. People who don't like the excitement will sit outside and look at the sky in a daze, or read in the comfortable sun.

Sweden

Girls with wreaths

The most classic activity in Sweden is the maypole/mast â ng. The leaves and flowers used to decorate the maypole can be picked in June. Some people say that 'Maj' in (majst å ng) means may, but it is actually 'Maja' in ancient Swedish, which means green decoration. Because the May column is a column decorated with green vines, garlands, and ribbons. People in different regions may have different names, but as we all know, it means may column.

Every year, Stockholm holds a Midsummer Festival in the Skansen open-air museum. The May columns here must be specially decorated! In addition to activities held in the Skansen open-air museum, Midsummer Festival activities of different scales will be held in all major forest parks in the city.

In the Midsummer Festival celebration, the erection of the Maypole is the most ceremonial and sacred moment. After the Maypole is erected, Swedes will dance in circles around the Maypole, and girls will wear garlands on their heads to celebrate.