For thousands of years, people have celebrated the summer solstice, or midsummer day. Nowadays, it's easy to explain what it's about, but in prehistoric times, this natural phenomenon seemed to be a mystery to people.
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Midsummer — the year's longest day and shortest night
All over Europe, people celebrate Midsummer's Day, set on June 24 in Germany. The summer solstice already played an important role in ancient traditions and customs, from Scandinavia to Spain.
Image: AP
The midsummer 'white nights'
It seems that the summer solstice has always fascinated people. The year's longest day is an important holiday, especially in Nordic countries. During those days, the nights there never become completely dark as the midsummer sun creates the famous "white nights." Pictured above is a lake in the Finnish part of Lapland at around midnight.
Image: picture-alliance/chromorange/O. Borchert
A typically Swedish tradition
"Midsommar": that's how the Swedes call the festivities they celebrate on Midsummer's Day, which is always set on a Saturday between June 20 and 26. City dwellers set off to the countryside to take part in the fun with dances, singing and music. Special foods and alcoholic drinks are served. Most Swedes, however, have ceased to believe in dancing elves, trolls and the magical powers of dew.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Dancing around the midsummer tree
Following Christmas, Midsummer's Day is the year's second important holiday in Sweden. Burning bonfires is an important element of the festivities in different countries. But in Sweden, there are also other customs. Among them, a slender tree trunk, decorated with leaves, flowers and garlands is erected on the eve of Midsummer's Day, and people dance around it.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Getting married on Midsummer's Day
Not only in Sweden, but also in neighboring Finland, Midsummer's Day is a popular wedding date. The Finnish couple pictured above celebrates its wedding on the island Seursaari in Helsinki, which is a popular holiday resort. Maybe lovers believe that saying yes on the year's longest day guarantees them a long and happy life together.
Image: imago/Xinhua
Head decorations
Customs don't have borders. Scandinavians and Slavs seem to share quite a few of them. Like in Sweden and the Baltic countries, women and girls in Belarus create flower garlands for the midsummer festivities. They decorate their heads with wreaths made of flowers and branches. This tradition is said to be of pagan origin. The plants used are believed to have special healing powers.
Image: Reuters/G. Garanich
Pagan traditions were Christianized
Solstice traditions go back to very ancient ages — some go back to the late Neolithic. It's believed that already in those early times, people burnt huge bonfires which were seen as a symbol for light and survival. The tradition was then taken over by the Christian religion which gave it a new interpretation. In many countries, the day is now called St. John's Day, celebrated on June 24.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
A feast celebrated by many Christian countries
During the first centuries A.D., the Julian calendar determined the date of the summer solstice. Celebrated on June 24, it was designated as the feast day of John the Baptist. Its observance starts the evening before, known as St. John's Eve. The Bible mentions that Jesus' cousin was conceived six months before Christ, whose birth is celebrated on December 25.
Image: Reuters/v. Fedosenko
Remaining pagan rites
Pagan rites still come into play when people across Europe ignite their bonfires on St. John's Eve. In Belarus, people celebrate what is called there Kupala Night by singing and dancing before jumping over fires. People believe that this act would purify them from their sins while strengthening their health.
Image: Reuters/G. Garanich
Fire and traditional costumes
Wearing Bavarian traditional clothes, this boy is standing in front of a St. John's fire in Upper Bavaria. Like in Sweden, Belarus and Ukraine, traditional customs are part of the festivities in Germany. The festivities also make everyone aware of one fact: From now on, days will become shorter again.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Jansen
Straw puppets against evil forces
Summer solstice bonfires are believed to contain magical powers that help people get through the upcoming cold season. In some locations, people try to increase the effect. In Lower Bavaria, for example, people bind a straw puppet on the stack of wood below the fire that will then burn down. It's believed to drive evil spirits away.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Weigel
The fire of love
Some lovers seem to believe that summer solstice fires can strengthen or revive their love. The couple pictured above is kissing in front of a St. John's fire on Kandel Mountain in the southern part of the Black Forest. The flames on the mountain top are clearly visible from far away.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
Beach parties in Spain
In Spain, people living close to the coast prefer to celebrate St. John's Eve on the beach, including those of Gijon in northern Spain, Alicante and Valencia (pictured). In some places, people all jump into the ocean at midnight to welcome the summer solstice.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The morning after in Valencia
The bonfires on the Mediterranean beach of Valencia, Spain's third largest city, draw thousands of people. People hang out, sing and dance together with their families, friends, and neighbors. However, the morning after the party, the beach is littered with plastic bags and empty bottles.
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Historical atmosphere
The Neolithic cult site of Stonehenge in southern England is believed to be at least 5,000 years old. It marked the points where the sun rose and set. In recent years, up to 36,000 people have been gathering to celebrate the summer solstice. Europe's biggest unorganized festivity of this kind, it also attracts numerous members of neo-pagan and esoteric groups clad in historical outfits.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/B. Birchall
Rocks full of mystery
A popular location for summer solstice celebrations in Germany, the rock formation pictured above, called the Externsteine, is found in the eastern part of Westphalia. The rocks are believed to have attracted up to 10,000 people already 12,000 years ago. The Nazis promoted the site as part of their cult of Germanic myths, which is why neo-Nazis and neo-Pagans are among those who celebrate there.
Image: imago/Westend61
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It all began in the late Neolithic Age in the northern hemisphere. Back then, people started to venerate the sun, so they observed it more closely. They noticed that, twice a year, the sun changed its direction. On the year's shortest day in the winter, when there is only little light for just a few hours, the sun is positioned at its southernmost point. After that, it starts to move northwards, and the days get longer again. Six months later, when the year's shortest night and longest day occurs, the sun is positioned at its northernmost point. After that, the days start to get shorter again.
Winter and summer solstice
Of course, people back then didn't know that it's not at all the sun that moves. What really moves is the earth, which rotates around the sun in the course of one year. Nevertheless, people of the late Neolithic Age determined the yearly date of the winter solstice (today mostly on December 21), as well as the summer solstice (today mostly on June 21), while marking the astronomical start of the winter and summer with these dates.
How the earth rotates around the sun
Research shows that people in the Middle East already registered the date of the summer solstice 11,000 years ago. The same can be said about the ancient cult site Stonehenge in southern England that's believed to be at least 5,000 years old.
A mystical day
People attributed a mystical significance especially to the summer solstice, or midsummer day.It was in this context that the myth of the world turned upside down developed. According to that myth, the world stands still for a moment during the summer solstice.
Midsummer day eventually became a holiday in the religions of the Germanic, Scandinavian, Baltic, Slav and Celtic peoples. One reason for that may be the fact that the following summer season with its harvests secured people's survival. At the same time, however, the day after which the days would become shorter also symbolized death and transience.
Christian influence
During the Christianization of Europe, a Christian interpretation was implanted into formerly pagan holidays and their rites and customs.This also holds true for the winter and summer solstices. During the first centuries after Christ, they were celebrated on Christ's birthday on December 24/25, as well as on June 24/25.
"John the Baptist" — a painting by Leonardo da VinciImage: picture-alliance/akg-images/A. Held
There's evidence that December 25 has been a Catholic Church feast since the year 336. People celebrated Christmas, the birthday of the son of God, Jesus Christ. In early Christendom, he was called "Verus Sol," meaning "true sun." Previously, the day had been devoted to the Roman "Sol Invictus," the unconquerable sun. That particular day fitted perfectly well into Christian imagery as it symbolizes the return of light, the never-ending force of the sun that creates life. In this sense, the winter solstice has a strong Christian aspect to it.
The summer solstice was dealt with in similar fashion. The Gospel according to Luke reports that John the Baptist was born half a year before Jesus Christ. That's why the birthday of the Jewish preacher, prophet and precursor of Christ was fixed on June 24. From then on, the day of the summer solstice was also called St. John's Day. In this way, these new Christian customs were linked to the much older solstice customs.
Summer solstice fire in Upper Franconia, GermanyImage: picture-alliance/dpa/Bildagentur-online/S. Celeste
Midsummer day celebrations across Europe
In Germany and large regions of Europe, midsummer day is mostly celebrated on St. John's Day. But that's not the case everywhere. There are regional differences.
In Nordic and Baltic countries, customs are quite different. In Sweden, Finland and Estonia, midsummer day is almost as popular as Christmas. In Latvia, the holiday is indeed the most popular one. What the celebrations across Europe, from the North Cape all the way to the South of Spain, all have in common is that huge bonfires are ignited everywhere.
Find out more about their significance, as well as other details about summer solstice celebrations in Europe, in our picture gallery.
