THE SPELL OF THE NIGHTLESS NIGHT

Midsummer Festival marks the start of the summer in a Finnish calendar. Long and dark winter months are behind, school semester has ended. No matter if it shines or rains, Finns welcome the summer with a wide smile on their face. Summer gets Finland to blossom, its nature and its folk to reborn.

Cities look deserted, as most Finns choose to celebrate the Midsummer Festival at the countryside. So many wild flowers are blooming at once that the air smells like honey. Dancing, sauna, skinny-dipping, banquet and the midnight bonfire are part of the celebration. Kokko, the bonfire, is made out of wood, old boats and dry branches and is usually set on a float on a lake. In the pre-Christian time the big fire was mend to scare off the evil spirits and bad fortune. The fire was believed to enhance light, warmth and fertility. Nowadays the symbolism has lost it's meaning, but the fire is still the climax of the evening, bringing also some warmth, as the nights in June are often quite cool in Finland.

Midsummer Festival is a celebration of the light. The summer solstice is the time when daytime is at its longest. At midnight the sun makes a dip into the horizon, then starts to rice again. Midsummer day is also the day of the Finnish flag. It is hoisted at 6 pm on Midsummer eve and flown all night till 9 pm the following evening. The blue and white flag and the flowery decorations salute the guests. Usually two young birch trees are placed on each side of the front door to welcome visitors, the house and the yard is decorated with scented wild flowers.

Smoking is an age-old method of preparing food. The country of thousands of lakes and its clear waters abound with perch, whitefish, pike burbot and Baltic herring. Also fish roe is a great delicacy, eaten with thick sour cream and chopped onions. Smoked fish, barbequed shashliks and sausages with strong mustard are the Midsummer signature dishes. Spring potatoes boiled in salted water, preferably seawater, dill-cucumbers and rye bread are always served aside.

Before going to the Midsummer sauna men usually prepare a "vihta". A bunch of birch branches are tied together, then soaked in a hot water in the sauna. While enjoying the sauna, Finns love to whisk themselves with "vihta". It improves the blood circulation and and releases a fresh scent of the birch leaves.

The Midsummer celebrations date back to pagan times, the feast was called "the celebration of Ukko". Ukko was the Finnish god of thunder, the most important of all gods, because he could create the rain, which was essential for a good harvest. According to an old belief, the Midsummer night tempted witches, fairies and elves to perform their magic.


Midsummer was a potential time for many rituals, mostly for young maidens. Midsummer night was believed to have healing powers and magical moments. In olden days various pagan rituals were taken quite seriously, many rites were connected with happiness, marriage and relationships or predicting the fortune. There are different magical tasks and tricks for girls in oder to get a glimpse of their future husband. For instance: a girl picks seven different species of wild flowers and places them under her pillow for the night, and she will see her future husband in a dream. Or: if a girl rolls around naked on a dewy field, she will meet her fiance before the next Midsummer Festival. The modern maidens interpret the spells with humor, but anyhow would never go to sleep on the eve of the Midsummer night without the seven different flowers under their pillows, just in case.

While the girls work on the spells, the boys build a treehouse. It is their very own kingdom with a bird's view of the neighborhood. No pillows, no flowers, but different kind of magic.


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DILL CUCUMBERS
1 large (about 300 g) cucumber
7 tablespoons (1 dl) finely chopped dill
25 milliliters (1/4 dl) white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of water

Cut the cucumber diagonal into long thin slices. Spread the slices in a container where they fit completely in a few layers, sprinkle the dill between the layers.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and the salt. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers, close the lid and shake the container. Keep covered in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.


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DRESSING FOR SMOKED FISH
2 cloves of garlic
100 g pickled cucumber
200 ml sour cream
1 teaspoon strong mustard

Chop the garlic and the cucumber finely.

Combine all the ingredients, toss and let rest in the fridge for 2 hours before serving. Serve with warm smoked fish.

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MARINATE FOR BARBEQUED CHICKEN
for 2 chicken breast files
2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon tomato pyre
50 milliliters (1/2 dl) tablespoon oil
50 milliliters (1/2 dl) milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all the ingredients. Rub the chicken all around with the mixture, let marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking.