Juhannus

Finland is celebrating Juhannus, or midsummer, complete with soaring bonfires, good eats and drinks, and plenty of social time with family and friends.

Juhannus (pronounced YOU-ha-nus) is the celebration of the summer solstice between the 20th and 26th of June. It’s a national holiday in Finland, and many Finns celebrate it with friends and family at a summer cottage away from the city. Midsummer is also a popular time for weddings and confirmations.

It is customary to build a large bonfire (kokko) to drive away evil spirits. Usually the fires are built on the water’s edge or on a hill or small island. By performing magical rites during Juhannus, Finns believe they can secure a better future for themselves, good fortune for their household, an abundant crop, and protect livestock from illnesses.

Kokko durning Finn Camp’s Juhannus 2022 celebration. Photo by Erick Leskinen.

Finland is known as the “land of the midnight sun,” with nearly 24/7 daylight for two months. The further north you go, the lighter and longer the nights get. On the longest day of the year, Finland enjoys almost 19 hours of bright sunlight. After long winters, this is reason enough to celebrate.

Hyvää juhannusta (happy midsummer)!