Juhannus (Midsummer Celebrations)

A recession and surging unemployment could not dampen the Finnish spirits for the annual rite of summer. As you can see from the above picture Tuomas looks happy as can be....while doing his best Nasfuratu impersonation. Juhannus marks the beginning of the summer holidays when most Finns take off of work (up to 5 weeks) and head to their country side cottages. It is a day filled with ancient traditions, bonfires, copious amounts of alcohol and a never setting sun.

The day started with heavy rain which subsided by the afternoon when I headed over to Tuomas and Henna's apartment. The artwork they have collected from artists and friends alike to Henna's own photography made their entire apartment a visual delight to walk through. I was treated to Tuomas's famous LA burgers which were followed by a rhubarb cake made with rhubarb from Henna's very own garden (yes I had more than one piece). We had drinks and great conversation before heading out to Seurasaari Island where the Finnish traditions came to light all around you. From various cabins showing the construction styles over the centuries to traditional food and folk dancing it was great to see. But I'm not going to lie I was super stoked about the bonfires! There were numerous "smaller" fires lit along the coastline with one main pile which was still unlit. As midsummer night is known as a very potent and magical night it has become the biggest wedding day of the entire year. So one couple is chosen to get married on the island and is then rowed out to the bonfire rig to light the largest ceremonial fire. The banks were filled with hundreds of onlookers cheering while the flames and smoke rose into the "midnight sun" sky. Met a ton of cool people, drank champagne out of the words smallest cups and then headed back into town to hop amongst a number of different bars and clubs. Crazy good times.

As I walked back into my apartment building at 4 am, all I could think to myself was, WOW. From witnessing a national tradition to the overall experience of the past few weeks, my next adventure was the five flights of stairs straight ahead of me.