Interesting tradition with the bonfires. They have the same in Norway but in sweden we have the maypole. Do you light the bonfires to scare the entities away, like we do last day of april?
Yes, that's very old tradition indeed.. But midsummer bonfires was originally pagan celebration in our country, and especially midsummer night was the most magical time. Midsummer associated with a variety of beliefs and magic, which sought to ensure future harvests and also "marriage-happiness". The most well known are the various love-spell. All kinds of strange occurrences were also typical midsummer night. I've always love the maypole, it looks so beautiful :) But why you guys have the maypole and not bonfires, I wonder?
We have the same reasons to celebrate midsummer as you, a pray for good breeding and sprouting :). The maypole is a phallos symbol, yepp, it's a dick. some trying to convince us that it is a cross, bah. Picking 7 or 11 different kind of flowers to put under the cusion before bedtime is a trick to dream about your future husband/wife, some say that you have to walk backwards and jump over some fences as well (guess the trickier the better). Bonfires are lit at the last of april. Actually in Falun were I live there is a very local tradition in one of the blocks that they are raising a maypole the last april. So traditions might have been mixed some time.
Hyvää juhannusta sinnekin päin :)
VastaaPoistaKiitos, kuin myös sinne! :)
PoistaInteresting tradition with the bonfires. They have the same in Norway but in sweden we have the maypole. Do you light the bonfires to scare the entities away, like we do last day of april?
VastaaPoistaYes, that's very old tradition indeed.. But midsummer bonfires was originally pagan celebration in our country, and especially midsummer night was the most magical time. Midsummer associated with a variety of beliefs and magic, which sought to ensure future harvests and also "marriage-happiness". The most well known are the various love-spell. All kinds of strange occurrences were also typical midsummer night.
PoistaI've always love the maypole, it looks so beautiful :) But why you guys have the maypole and not bonfires, I wonder?
We have the same reasons to celebrate midsummer as you, a pray for good breeding and sprouting :). The maypole is a phallos symbol, yepp, it's a dick. some trying to convince us that it is a cross, bah.
PoistaPicking 7 or 11 different kind of flowers to put under the cusion before bedtime is a trick to dream about your future husband/wife, some say that you have to walk backwards and jump over some fences as well (guess the trickier the better).
Bonfires are lit at the last of april. Actually in Falun were I live there is a very local tradition in one of the blocks that they are raising a maypole the last april. So traditions might have been mixed some time.
Haha, ok :D But that dream-trick sounds funny!
Poista