Midsummer — the Most Magical Time to Visit Finland's Archipelago
Discover how the islanders celebrate the “nightless night” and its magical rituals that make Midsummer one of the most memorable times to visit the Finnish archipelago.
While many traditions are shared with neighbouring Sweden, Finns have made the holiday very much their own. A Midsummer or a celebration of the nightless night in Finland’s archipelago is a mix of ancient folklore, spending time with your loved ones, bonfires, sauna sessions, and staying up late.
During Midsummer in mid June, the days are the longest of the year. The sun barely sets. Instead, it lingers just below the horizon, bathing the archipelago in a soft blue glow that lasts through the night. Birds keep singing long past bedtime, and there’s a feeling in the air that is difficult to explain. Perhaps it is the old belief that Midsummer is a night when the ordinary rules of the world do not quite apply.
Read below tips on how to celebrate the beloved holiday!
These bonfires are typically built on a lakeshore, seashore, or even on a raft floating in the water (provided there is no wildfire warning in effect).
In the old days, bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and ensure a good harvest. Fire was believed to have protective powers, and the bigger the flames, the better. Watching the flames dance against a backdrop of sea and midnight light is an experience many visitors remember long after their trip.
Villages and local associations organise outdoor dance events or juhannustanssit where people gather to socialise, listen to live music, and dance until late into the bright summer night. Celebrating can be done in city centres too, as many bars and clubs arrange midsummer parties.
Families heat wood-burning saunas, gather bundles of fresh birch branches in the sauna called vihta or vasta for an amazing smell, and take turns sweating in the heat before cooling off in the sea or a nearby lake. After the sauna, enjoying a lonkero (long drink) is a common occurrence. Ask any Finn!
Midsummer sauna traditions once had a magical side as well. People believed the sauna was a place where the spirit world was especially close. Today, the ritual is less about magic and more about relaxation, although sitting in a lakeside sauna at midnight can still feel otherworldly.
Midsummer pole in Brännskär.
Known in Finnish as juhannussalko, the decorated midsummer pole is a sight most commonly found in the archipelago. The poles are decorated with leaves, flowers, ribbons, and ornaments, then raised in village celebrations accompanied by music and dancing. You can find them for example in Brännskär, Houtskär, Kustavi, Sattmark, Utö and Parainen.
People gather wildflowers from meadows and roadsides and weave them into crowns worn throughout the celebrations. Children, adults, and even the occasional dog can be spotted wearing one! In folklore, flowers gathered on Midsummer night were believed to possess special powers connected to love, luck, and fertility.
Birch branches are often used as Midsummer decorations on doorways or table settings.
1. In perhaps the best-known ritual, you pick seven different wildflowers and place them beneath their pillows before going to sleep. During the night, you could dream of a future partner.
2. The number of cuckoo calls heard on Midsummer night tells how many years remain before you find your future spouse.
3. If you look into a well or a pond on Midsummer night, you will see your future spouse.
4. The direction in which a shoe thrown onto a roof points on Midsummer night reveals where you will move in the future.
5. In the direction where the Midsummer bonfire smoke drifts, there is someone who will soon get married.
6. If you place two mirrors facing each other and look into one, you will see your future spouse appear in the other.
7. Finding a four-leaf clover on Midsummer guarantees a suitor.
In the archipelago
In Turku
In Naantali
