Midsummer Bonfires: Juhannus Kokkojen 2011 @ Seurasaari

The celebration of Midsummer (or Juhannus in Finnish) was from ancient times in connection to the summer solstice. The summer solstice is an astronomical event that occurs exactly when the Earth's semi-axis in a given hemisphere is most inclined towards the sun. The celebrations that accompany the actual solstice in Europe typically occurs on a day between June 21 and June 24.

In Finland, Midsummer is considered one of the greatest festivals of the year. An interesting aspect of Midsummer is the white night and midnight sun. Due to the geolocation of Finland which spans around the Arctic Circle, the nights near the Midsummer are short or non-existence.

In Finnish tradition, the Midsummer Eve was believed to have magical qualities. People do all kind of spells and charms. Most of them are linked to ones love life in some ways. Additionally, bonfires (or kokkojen in Finnish) are commonly burnt by the lakes and sea during Midsummer. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again.

This video clip features a traditional wedding ritual of a bridal couple, happening in Seurasaari. The wedding couple first performed a bridal dance with folk dancers in the festival ground under a colorful traditional canopy. Then, the bridal couple is transported in a traditional rowing boat to a nearby island where they have the honorable duty of lighting up the main bonfire.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Juhannus
• Midsummer
• Bonfires
• Seurasarri
• Helsinki
• Finland

[Nathaniel3040]

Those are healthy trees your burning