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Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 Time: 10:22 PM -
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The Midsummer Festival, more than a hundred-year-old tradition in Scandinavia1, falls on June 22 or 23, when the sun will reach its highest point in the sky, to create the longest day of the year. In northern part of the Scandinavia, one can see the midnight sun as the sun drops to just below the horizon and the night never reaches complete darkness.(http://www.imitatewatch.com/GoodsBrand/Replica-Concord-Watches-34.html)
Article Source: DirectoryArticles.com
Many places celebrate midsummer on June 24, while in Sweden it is honored on the Friday closest to June 20. Many centuries ago this day was to pay respect to2 water, fire and plants. It was also a time to clean one's soul. However, over time, this holiday lost much of its religious meaning. Actually, midsummer marks a change in the farming year, specially the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making in Scandinavia, and in such Eastern countries as Estonia and Lithuania.
How did and do people celebrate the festival?
Bonfires'Huge fires are built. In Sweden the fire is still called "bonfire".Long long ago — even today in some places, people would jump over the fire — to not light a fire is to invite a destruction of one's own house by fire! The fire was thought to frighten away the spirit who would avoid fire at any cost. The bigger the fire, the farther the spirits ran away. Usually it is the president of a country that lights the first fire in the early morning of the Midsummer Festival to begin the holiday celebration.
The wood that's used for the fire has been collected throughout the year, to suggest that a big harvest does not come suddenly, but bit by bit.Flowers Homes are decorated with wild flowers and greenery4. Flowers are an important aspect of the midsummer. A flower wreath5 may be hung from the ceiling, a pair of birch6 branches put at the front door, just to bring blessing to the house. Women wear wreaths of flowers in their hair for the day.Girls would collect 7 to 9 different wild flowers and place them under their pillows in hopes of dreaming their future lovers. Girls also wore wreaths and later set them afloat on rivers and lakes to find out if they would marry or not in the following year. Midsummer was and is a popular time to wed — to get married with the one beloved — under the midnight sun.
The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper13. Usually the Morris dance was performed by dancers wearing bells on their colorful costumes14. Often the fairest maiden of the village was chosen Queen of the May. Sometimes a May King was also chosen. These two led the village dancers and ruled over the festivities. In Elizabethan times, the king and queen were called Robin Hood and Maid Marian.(http://www.luv-replica.com/GoodsBrand/Cartier_Replica_Watches-6.html)
It was believed that on this very night ferns7 would open, but only the true of heart would be able to find the rare flower. It is easy to understand that people take pride in finding the ferns.
Midsummer is celebrated all over Cartier Replica Watches, including parts of the USA and China. It is believed that A Midsummer's Dream was written in the midsummer of 1594 or 1595. Have a look at the delicious play Concord Replica Watches and wonder: So wonderful as it is why do we not celebrate the Festival by all means ?
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