Where's The Fire?

The night is filled with the sight of fires where-ever you look. Along the beaches, everywhere, people are dancing, singing and holding a joyful celebration. It's St Hansaften, the ultimate summer occasion and feast in Scandinavia. After a long dark winter, it’s time for a joyous celebration of a much-awaited summer. Bonfires are lighting up the skies, swimmers are diving into the deep fjords and barbeques glow down by the water.These are the sights of people celebrating a seemingly endless midsummer night. June 23 is St.Hans Aften (St.John’s Eve) in Norway. It may also have another name, that being Sankthansaften. If you ask someone, this is what you might hear in explanation: “Etter en stund blir bålene tent, og folk koser seg med god mat, gode historier, sang - og dans”. It sounds like: “eht-tehr ehn stoonn bleer bohl-eh-neh tehnnt oh fohlk koo-sehr sai meh goo maht goo-eh hees-too-ree-ehr sahng oh dahns”. Its English translation is:“After a while, the bonfires are lit, and people sit down to enjoy good food, good stories, singing--and dancing”

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Norway celebrates Sankthansaften, or St. John's Eve each June 23, the eve before the longest day of the year. It is also called Jonsok which translates to John's wake, referring to St. John the Baptist's birth. Rituals carry on each year as little girls pick flowers and put them under their pillows at night with hopes of dreaming of their future husband.

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The bonfire tradition, which is quite often along the coast, goes back to pagan days, was believed to produce fertile soil, and providing protection from witches and evil spirits. Some believed the witches to be especially active on midsummer nights, gathering their witchcraft ingredients and preparing for witchery at evil gatherings. In parts of Norway, a custom of arranging mock marriages, both between adults and between children, is still kept alive. The wedding was meant to symbolize the blossoming of new life. Such weddings are known to have taken place in the 1800s, but the custom is believed to be older.

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It’s all in celebration of the coming day “ When the suns stands still”. Solstice celebrations still center around the day of the astronomical summer solstice. Some choose to hold the rite on the 21st of June, even when this is not the longest day of the year, and some celebrate June 24th, the day of the solstice in Roman times. The word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). For several days before and after each solstice, the sun appears to stand still in the sky—that is, its noontime elevation does not seem to change. Before Christianity came to Denmark, Scandinavian peoples celebrated the longest day as a supernatural struggle between light and dark, heat and cold.

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Since the feast day of Saint John the Baptist occurred on June 23rd, near the date of the annual summer solstice, the Christian Church emphasized this celebration in Scandinavia. “Hans” is the diminutive of “Johannes” or “John”. Today it’s a very good excuse to stay up late, have fun, and light bonfires.The Gospel of Luke states that John was born about six months before Jesus, therefore, the feast of John the Baptist was fixed on June 21~24, six months before Christmas. This feast day is one of the very few saints' days to mark the supposed anniversary of the birth, rather than the death of the saint commemorated.The coming days will slowly become shorter and shorter until the days grow completely dark. Norwegians live with these polar opposite seasons every year and, therefore, they take full advantage of every summer and enjoy the extended company of the sun on Sankthansaften, or St. John’s Eve.

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At the feast, everyone enjoys the traditional treat..sour cream porridge, better known as rømmegrøt.

Ingeborg Nygaard, the chef at the American Norwegian Embassy, said: “Bonfires, rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge), cured ham, barbeque, midsummer, sun, family, friends and dancing” are her fond memories of the occasion. Sour cream porridge is eaten sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and with warm melted butter. Some people also like to add raisins on top, as pictured . Red juice, such as raspberry or currant, is usually served with the porridge.

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Summer is finally here---and that’s a reason to celebrate!