Any first-time tourist wandering around Helsinki during the
Midsummer week is likely to be quite confused: where is everyone?
The capital is a ghost town during that time, with most businesses closed and
the streets vacant.
The explanation is quite simple: Finns are at their summer
cottages. More than half a million summer cottages exist in Finland (bear in
mind that there are only 5.5 million Finns) and those who are not fortunate
enough to own one often pool money together to rent one for the Midsummer
weekend.
Although the concept
of city-Juhannus, a city Midsummer, has become increasingly popular
among young Finns, for many the thought of spending the weekend anywhere except
on a pier overlooking the water with the woods humming behind them is a
sacrilege.
Families gather in multiple generations to spend the holiday
together eating, drinking, boating, playing cards, swimming, and taking a
sauna, fishing and playing such popular games as Mölkky.
The weather is an important factor on how the weekend goes;
some years, Midsummer is celebrated in a cold drizzle, with temperatures near
10 degrees Celsius.
On better years, the sun shines brightly throughout the day
and night and the lake or sea is warm enough to spend hours in — while going
back and forth to the sauna, of course.
How long is Midsummer in Finland?
Midsummer may officially only be one day out of the year,
but in Finland the entire week before the Midsummer Saturday is considered part
of the event. Businesses start to slowly wind down their projects and people
begin to prepare themselves mentally for a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment.
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