Practicing as a guest in a traditional medicine is genuinely an honor. Years of following the seasonal rhythms and practices steeped in taoist tradition and East Asian healing practices has ultimately connected me more deeply with my own heritage. Being so innately drawn to a healing system that communes with nature for guidance, the roots of my own ancestry feel more in sync with my ancestral practices from long ago.
Midsummer: The Traditions of Northern European Pagans
Midsummer is the ancient Northern European pagan celebration of the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year. As the sun sets on June 23-24, people come alive with magic, ancient traditions, folklore, fire, music, singing, dancing, and spending time with friends and family. Celebrated as a national holiday in Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, this tradition dates back to the Neolithic Era, from 10,000 BC to c. 2,000 BC.
As these traditions gained popularity and spread from Scandinavia throughout Europe, they blended with Christianity, aligning them with the feast of St. John the Baptist on June 24. This night is believed to hold special powers, with people often casting love and fertility spells, or even getting married. Though there is a connection to Christianity in St. John’s Day, the ancient Midsummer traditions of celebrating light, fertility, love, harvest, and life long predate Christianity. Up until 1952, Midsummer Eve was celebrated on June 23. Because of how close the day fell to the celebration of John the Baptist on June 24, the Midsummer Eve celebration was moved to fall on the Friday between June 19-25.
Rituals
Bonfires: Lit as the sun sets, bonfires are an essential ritual to celebrate the shortest night of the year. They burn through the short night, until the sun rises, and are lit to spread light, fertility, and good fortune as far as possible. In Finland, it is believed that loudly singing and dancing would bring luck and drive away evil spirits. The Danes celebrate Sankt Aften (St. John’s Eve) by lighting large bonfires topped with straw effigies of witches to drive away evil spirits and protect the community. The Finnish build bonfires on the lake shore, taking dips in the cool water throughout the night. In Latvia, fires are lit to represent the sun’s power, and jumping over the flames is believed to cleanse negative energy and bring good luck.
Food and drink: Cheese and beer are the two most essential foods for a Midsummer celebration. Jāņu siers, or Midsummer cheese, is a fresh sour-milk cheese made from milk, curd, and caraway seeds. Beer is the beverage of choice, with local and homemade brews made special for the celebrations. In Sweden, popular Midsummer foods include fresh new potatoes lightly boiled with dill, pickled herring, Swedish meatballs, crisp bread, butter, cheese, and a glass of Aquavit. Dessert includes Swedish strawberries served with whipped cream or in a strawberry cake, called jordgubbstårta.
Singing and dancing: There are two types of Midsummer singing, the first of which is Līgošana. These songs are about fertility and good fortune. Aplīgošana are fun and friendly songs about teasing friends, family, and neighbors. In Denmark, the Midsommervisen is a cherished hymn that celebrates the brilliance of summer’s light. Paired with toasts of Aquavit, there are over 12,ooo recorded Swedish drinking songs. The Latvian folk songs are often sang in sing along form, with “Līgo!” being a popular refrain.
Games: No party is complete without games, and the Swedish have many that they play once the Midsummer feast is done. Femkamp is a set of 5 playful challenges, ranging from sack races, egg and spoon runs, to made up games involving blindfolds. Kubb is a wood block game with the objective of knocking over 10 blocks to finally knock over the king. Played on the lawn, each family has their own house rules, and the lively debate that arises is part of the fun.
Maypole: The midsommarstången, or maypole, is the most famous symbol associated with the Midsummer celebration. Though the maypole tradition originated in Germany during the Middle Ages in connection to their celebration of May Day, the practice came to Sweden and became part of their Midsummer traditions. The maypole was a tall tree trunk decorated with greenery and positioned in the village green at the start of the festival. Dancing around the maypole with ribbons is an old custom to welcome in the summer. Modern dancers weave ribbons around a pole instead of a tree, and are positioned in pairs of boys and girls. The dance creates a multicolored pattern which weaves itself down the pole as the dance progresses. To undo the ribbons, dancers reverse their steps. This dance represents the lengthening of the days of summer.
Different countries have different maypole traditions. In Austria and Germany, the pole is called a maibaum and is painted with the Bavarian blue and white stripes. Villagers position the pole in the village where it is decorated after a procession.
Wildflower wreaths: Women make and wear flower crowns woven from daisies, cornflowers, and clover. In Latvia, homes and barns were decorated with birch, oak, rowan branches, ferns, oxeye daisies, bents,fresh greenery, thistles, nettles, and flowers. Nettles and thistles were attached to door frames specifically to keep out evil spirits. Wearing a wreath or crown of flowers symbolized fertility and rebirth. To prolong the flower’s powers, the wreaths and crowns were dried and used to keep the family healthy throughout winter.
Oak leaf wreaths: Men wear wreaths woven from oak leaves to symbolize strength.
Folk Beliefs:
- Stay awake all night, or risk sleeping through the rest of the year. You are meant to great the sunrise in the morning.
- Jumping over the Midsummer fire will prevent mosquitos from biting you for the rest of the summer.
- Flower wreaths should be made of nice different flowers, with nine blooms of each flower. If you sleep with the wreath on your head, you will dream of your future betrothed.
- Throw your wreath into an apple, and the number of times it falls is the number of years you have until marriage.
- If you bathe naked in the morning as the sun rises after solstice night, you will be healthy and beautiful.
- If you find the mythical fern flower, you will have good luck and fortune.
- Place seven different types of flowers under your pillow to dream of your future spouse. But stay silent as you pick, or the magic will not work.
- Promote good health by walking in the dew as night turns to dawn.
- Couples who hold hands while jumping over a bonfire will be bound together.
A stunning celebration of love and life, Midsummer is all about welcoming summer, sharing food and drink with friends and family, and practicing magic with the belief it will bring good fortune for the rest of the year. From weaving flower crowns to dancing around the maypole, people for generations have been celebrating with their traditions and customs to bless their harvest, bring good luck, and even fall in love. Though an ancient practice, celebrating
Midsummer is still just as relevant today as it was centuries ago, and is open to all those who feel that special magic on the longest day of the year.
References
● https://baltictours.com/midsummer-in-the-baltics-st-johns-day
● https://www.heirloomartco.com/blogs/journal/a-modern-midsummer-finding-meaning-in-ancestral-traditions
● https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/culture-history-and-art/swedish-traditions/midsummer-tradition/midsummer-sweden-something-another-world/
● https://www.visitfinland.com/en/articles/everything-need-to-know-about-midsummer/
● https://www.letthejourneybegin.eu/celebrating-midsummer-in-latvia/
● https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/features/20.06.2022-latvian-midsummer-festival-basics-explained.a462276/
● https://www.almanac.com/content/midsummer-day\
● https://www.latvia.travel/en/summer-solstice-celebrations
● https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/beginners-guides/37-english-folk-dance/2191-maypole
● https://www.efdss.org/learning/resources/beginners-guides/37-english-folk-dance/2191-maypole#
● https://www.oakhousefoods.co.uk/blog/blog/2019/05/03/the-maypole-what-does-is-it-and-what-does-it-signify/?srsltid=AfmBOoqkj9asErQ8ARMT6O5io83fpSt2nd6ACGEpdMZc6WGC30YrwpgJ