Well, I'm posting a day late - but the evening of June 23rd marked Sankthans night, a special mid-summer holiday in Norway, Sweden and Denmark (and other parts of Northen Europe), a folk festival, where people light huge bonfires and sometimes get a little crazy. Actually, I think it ws celebrated on Friday the 24th this year...
This festival predates Christian times and is rooted in pagan mid-summer festivities. When the Christians adopted the holiday they called it Saint John's Day (as in John the Baptist). Sankthans is a contraction of 'Saint Johannes'. It's usually celebrated by lighting huge bonfires, if the weather permits. Rain was expected in Oslo this year, but I can only assume that if it wasn't too wet, it wouldn't have stopped anyone.
The Swedes call it Midsommar. I've heard it is celebrated in the Bristish Isles as well. I have no idea how it ties in with John the Bapist at all, actually, other than his birthday would have been six months before Christ's so perhaps that is the idea.
So, happy midsommar, summer solstice, and Sankthans! Enjoy the beautiful weather!
From what my mother has told me, her dad, my Norwegian Bestefar, prohibited any celebration of Sankthans, because these parties were usually full of dancing (often around a May pole), games and lots of public drunkeness. He wasn't opposed to the dancing or the games as much as he was worried about his daughters!
So, I celebrated quietly with my cat Jack on my lap, Japanese food, and some Chuck DVDs. To each her own.
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