Othala - Jaanipäev

👉 On the night of June 24, during the Summer Solstice, Estonia will “blaze“ with bonfires, celebrating Jaanipäev — St. John’s Day. St. John’s Day (St. John’s Night) is celebrated at the juncture of two periods in the solar year cycle, which formed the basis of the ancient agricultural calendar. According to folk beliefs, it is at this moment that the sun starts its turn towards winter, gradually “waning“: the days will become shorter, and the nights longer. This holiday is remarkable not only because of the solstice and its enchanting, mythical past but also because, starting this evening, the people of the country — whether Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, or simply non-believers — will all go out into nature to light bonfires, drink beer, enjoy barbecues, swing on swings, dance, sing, swim, and (if they remember!) search for the mythical fern flower. Why does the celebration begin in the evening and smoothly transition into night? Because