Midsummer Fest!!!

[Changer]

Ok, kinda strange topic but how gives a damn: Anyway, me and a couple of mates had a midsummer festival party thing last night, and I was wondering wether anyone else had (or has planned) a simular thing for this old pagan holiday.

Our own midsummer fest was a hit, as we ended up drinking mead, eating ham cooked over a campfire and philosifating(is that a word lol?) about all sorts of things at about 4 AM hehe. when the sun came up it was a quick bit of honouring it and sending those punny christians in our mids on thier way back home after that it was another hour of drinking and trying to find our bags and things like that ^^.

I hope anyone else here has a simular thing to share with us

[Sini]

Midsummer is quite a big holiday in Finland. I had a traditional Midsummer with my family, sauna and swimming. We didn't have a bonfire as we're already too old (and way too lazy to build one) to enjoy it as much as we did as children. See wikipedia entry for Midsummer in Finland for quite a good summary. I'd like to add that people usually have way too much to drink on Midsummer and have a big hangover the next day. Not that I'd do anything like that (I only had 3 ciders).

[Farseer]

This is an older thread but thanks for sharing this, Changer and Sini! It was fascinating to compare the midsummer celebrations in different countries, particularly as most of it was quite new to me. Of special interest to me was this little fact from wikipedia:

Cornish migrants in South Australia at one time celebrated the traditional European Midsummer with a bonfire on the traditional date of 24 June, which in Australia is the middle of winter. The earliest recorded bonfire was lit for this celebration in Moonta, on the night leading into June 24, 1862. Similar celebrations began in Burra soon after.

How funny that migrants attempted to celebrate Midsummer here in Australia in the middle of winter !!

I was surprised to discover how wide-spread the celebration is throughout the world, even today. It is not something we observe at all and therefore the celebrations in Robin's books seem so other-worldly to ones such as I!!!!

[Nuytsia]

Lucky they DID decide to do it in the middle of winter though, if a bonfire is involved!
(bushfire anyone?)

We have midwinter festival in Hobart .....

[Farseer]

We have midwinter festival in Hobart .....

Really ?! Do tell! I am definitely going to have to get out more...!!

[Nuytsia]

Tee hee! I'm not sure how 'old' a tradition it is ... but it's a reason to drag yourself out of the house at night in the middle of freezing winter!
It's possibly not as interesting as it sounds....!!!!
In fact the website is down..... and the thing is on in just over a month..... probably gives you an idea of the scope of it .... hehehe