What is the most anticipated season of the year for many has officially begun. This year the summer solstice falls today, 2nd June, and as always comes with its load of magic and suggestions that have accompanied it since ancient times. If in the world it is the longest day of the year, in the lands surrounding the North Pole is the one in which the sun never sets and what gives way to long arctic nights.

Juhannus, when the sun never sets in Finland

In Finland, tradition has it that this special day is greeted with a national holiday. Juhannus: so is called the celebration of the moment when light triumphs over darkness, a moment interpreted for millennia as a hymn to life, as a message of rebirth and revenge, more valid than ever in this 2020 characterized by the dark phase of the emergency Coronavirus. On this day (which will be June 21 in Finland) every corner of the country becomes the theater of events and parties. Bonfires and saunas, barbecues, fishing excursions and boat trips: so the Finns celebrate the transition between two worlds, that of the night and that of the day, the beginning of summer and holidays.

Rites and beliefs of the Finnish summer solstice

Although crowds will be avoided this time, Juhannus usually includes precise rites. According to tradition, having fun making noise and drinking a lot it is a way to attract the good luck. A power exercised over fate also thanks to the bonfire ("Kokko" in Finnish) which in the past were turned on to drive away the bad spirits and as a wish for a good harvest at the end of the summer season. In ancient times, in fact, a great magical power was attributed to the summer solstice, through various beliefs related to fertility and to search for one's soul mate. According to mythology, if a young girl puts seven freshly picked flowers under her pillow before falling asleep on the day of the summer solstice, she will be able to dream of her future boyfriend. Not surprisingly many weddings they are still organized in this period to propitiate the union.

The midnight sun that blends sunrise and sunset together

On the day of the summer solstice the Finns stay wake up late waiting for that night that will never come. Juhannus starts a unique season, in which the protagonist is one of the most iconographic phenomena of Finland: the midnight Sun which contrasts in the summer months with the dark arctic winter, profoundly influencing the lifestyle of the Finns and pushing them to enjoy every minute of the short hot period. All sad thoughts go into hibernation: there is time to find them once it is dark again. Although the midnight sun is visible only north of the Arctic circle, the nights are also illuminated in the southern regions of the nation. Indeed, shortly after midnight the sun drops below the horizon, but only to immediately return to the top, merging sunset and sunrise in an unforgettable moment. In the northern regions of Finnish Lapland, the sun remains above the horizon for more than 70 consecutive days. Under the polar circle, on the other hand, it sets briefly at night. But it cannot be said that it is really dark sleepless nights they are in fact a peculiarity of the whole nation; Helsinki, located on the southern coast, is also illuminated 24/7 in the summer.

Summer at the cottage to experience Finland like the Finns

The password to fully enjoy the white nights is "Cottage". Finns love the quiet, and also for the tourist there is no better way to experience it than to leave behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life and find refuge in a picturesque wooden cottage surrounded by nature. A nest from which to live intensely days extended to infinity, taking long walks and canoeing excursions, fishing, spending the small hours playing golf or conquering the top of a mountain (for info for a holiday in the country, www.visitfinland.com).

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