Midsummer Day (redirected from Midsummer's Day)

Midsummer Day

June 24, or nearest Friday

This ancient pagan festival of the Summer Solstice, originally kept on June 21, is celebrated in Europe and Scandinavian countries in much the same way as Beltane was celebrated in Ireland. Bonfires are still lit in some places on Midsummer Eve as a way of driving out evil and renewing reproductive powers. At one time it was believed that all natural waters had medicinal powers on this day, and people bathed in streams and rivers to cure their illnesses. Midsummer Day is also sacred to lovers. Shakespeare's romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, reflects the traditional spirit associated with this festival.
The Swedish begin their Midsommar celebration on the Friday before Midsummer Eve and continue through Sunday. Every town and village sets up a maypole, or Majstang, which is decorated with flowers, leaves, and flags. In Rattvik, Sweden, on Lake Siljan, the festivities are held on a pier. The province of Dalarna, where some of Sweden's oldest wooden cottages have been preserved, is a popular place to spend the Midsommar festival weekend.
The Swedes call Midsommar "the day that never ends," because the sun doesn't begin to set until 10:00 p.m. and it rises again at 2:00 a.m. In areas of Norway and Sweden that lie above the Arctic Circle, the sun shines brightly 24 hours a day for six weeks.
When June 24 was designated St. John's Day by the Christian Church, the fires that had been associated with the pagan festival were reinterpreted to symbolize St. John, whom the Lord had once called "a burning and shining light." But the pre-Christian elements surrounding Midsummer Day never really disappeared, and the Feast of St. John has long been associated with solstitial rites. This day is also one of the official Quarter Days in England.
In Estonia, St. John's Eve is a national holiday known as Voidupuha, or Victory Day, commemorating the 1919 Battle of Vonnu in which Estonia regained control from Baltic-German rule; because celebrations extend into the night, the next day, June 24, is also a public holiday.
See also Calinda Dance; Inti Raymi Festival; Juhannus; Kupalo Festival; St. Hans Festival

CONTACTS:
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press and Information Department
Islandi valjak 1
Tallinn, 15049 Estonia
372-6-317-000; fax: 372-6-317-099
www.vm.ee

SOURCES:
AmerBkDays-2000, pp. 470, 474
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 814
BkFest-1937, pp. 32, 59, 125, 136, 213, 220
DaysCustFaith-1957, p. 151
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 105, 157, 168, 202, 203, 253, 486, 606, 629, 723, 747, 754, 789, 866, 871, 930, 961, 966, 1032, 1172
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 13, 27, 43, 68, 153, 167, 199, 235
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 392
OxYear-1999, p. 259
SaintFestCh-1904, p. 301