Midsummer is celebrated throughout the Scandinavian region, and started originally as a pagan holiday on the day of John the Baptist, and is now celebrated on the weekend closest to the summer solstice.
It welcomes summer and is usually taking place between June 19 to June 25.
Celebrations in…
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Sweden… take place around a maypole, trimmed with garlands of flowers. People dance around the maypole holding hands and enjoy themselves. |
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Finland…take place at someone’s favorite lake, around self-built bonfires that last through midnight, with a lot of dancing. |
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Norway… are also called Sankt Hans Aften and customs date back to pagan times paying tribute to the powers of the sun god. Lighting a bonfire is thought to defeat darkness. |
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Denmark… are also similar to Norway, even calling it Sankt Hans Aften as well. Bonfires play a very important role after dark, during the day they enjoy picnics. |
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Iceland… are take it to a different level. They call the midsummer night Jónsmessa (“Mass of John the Baptist”). According to folklore, seals become human, cows speak in human tongue and elves come out of their hiding places on this magical night. |
No matter where you are, we at Wagner wish you a great midsummer celebration. Enjoy your tradition!
Wagner Consulting is one of the best online translation agencies that provides professional Translation, Globalization & Localization services to a large local and foreign customer base. Our Scandinavian Language Division supports you with your requests into or from Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish!
