Dear History Lover:

          As we bid farewell to June, let us celebrate the light that illuminates the future. The mind wanders to the Swedish countryside, where silent pastures surrounded by birch trees are suddenly interrupted by more than 20,000 celebrants, buzzing in pure excitement. People laugh as they jump through scattered bonfires and are unscathed by the heat of flames. To one side, there are women, wearing floral wreaths on their heads, walking backward yet hunched forward, scanning grass fields, and occasionally lowering their fingers to the blades to pluck small colorful flowers.

There’s a cheerful eruption of voices, and as one turns around, one sees a twenty-foot pole, covered in plucked flowers and birch leaves, standing tall in the air. Participants hold hands and dance in a circle, swaying to the breeze without a care in the world. Welcome to Midsommar.
 

          Various cultures have unique perspectives of Midsommar. For example, Sweden's excitement and frenzy for such a holiday as Midsommar is rivaled only by Christmas. There was serious consideration as to whether Sweden’s National Holiday (June 6th) should be changed to Midsommar. Midsommar (or Midsummer)’s Eve falls on a Friday between June 19th and 25th, with Midsommar’s Day being the following day. This year, Midsommar’s Eve fell on June 21st . Midsommar is also known as St. John’s Day. It is a Christian tradition marking the birth of St. John the Baptist, who was a Jewish prophet and Christian saint dedicated to spreading the teachings of Jesus.

 It is said that St. John's birthday is a celebration for the season of summer: A time of light, warmth, and fertility. The story of St. John, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan is reflective of a rebirth. Midsommar is also correlated to the summer solstice, though there is sometimes a difference in the days. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator, with the Earth’s North Pole being at its closest point to the sun, thus resulting in the most visible daylight for the year (i.e. longest day of the year). 

          While these celebrations revere the sunlight, blossoming plants, and observe the Earth's rebirth, many Pagan religions, including Wicca, consider the summer solstice as the definite day of the longest and highest point of the summer. Wicca, a nature-based belief system revolving around Father Sky and Mother Earth, was originally practiced by Slavic, Germanic, & Celtic tribes. These ancient peoples commemorated the day with bonfires, in the hopes that it would cultivate a good harvest. On Midsommar Day, vegetation is seen to be at a precious point. Flowers have bloomed; yet, have not yet begun to fruit. Herbs are at the height of their medicinal potency.

         Professor Ronald Hutton, a History professor at the University of Bristol, England, explained the etymology of the idea, stating:

“Midsummer was seen as a time when the normal laws of nature or divinity could be suspended, when spirits and fairies could contact humans, when humans could exceed the usual limitations of their world.”

         The conceptual origins of Midsommar occurred within groups of ancient peoples, who were interested in sun and celestial tracking, and used them as anchors for timekeeping. The Saxons, recognizing both summer and winter solstice as seasonal midpoints, organized a method of segmenting a quarterly year. The concept of a Midsommar marriage between Father Sky & Mother Earth can be traced back to the Neolithic Age, when people made pilgrimages to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice (which is still celebrated there and livestreamed every year) . Stonehenge was seen as an altar for the wedding between Father Sky & Mother Earth, and as light passes through the holes of the stone architecture, it symbolizes fertility on Earth. The area surrounding Stonehenge contains several burial mounds, and it was a place where both the earth (representing fertility) and the dead were respected, mourned, and celebrated. Even the twenty-foot high Midsommar pole ("May Pole"); a tradition thought to have been introduced by Pagan Germans of the Middle Ages, serves as a link between the underworld, Earth, and heavens.

     Now let the wandering mind return to the present. It is a time to celebrate. Welcome to Midsommar! 

We wish you a happy and healthy Independence Day.

Historically yours,