Juhanus (Mid-summer celebration) in Finland

What is Juhanus? 
Well, it's called John's day, because, by tradition, John the Baptist was born 6 months before Christ, and since Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ (yes, I know, that's a pagan holiday and not really Christ's birthday, but bear with me here......), mid-summer eve is the celebration for John the Baptist.  It is not in any way, at least that I've been able to determine, a religious holiday, at least here in Finland.
But in Finland, and I think in other Scandinavian countries, it's a BIG DEAL. 
For Finns it's the biggest holiday of the year.  Every business closes down the day before and they really don't go back to work until the following Monday. 
Sort of. 
Keep in mind that most Finns have at least one month's vacation in the summer, during which they all go to the country cabin which is usually situated by a lake, and they CHILL OUT.  As a result, missionary tracting in the city during the summer is a tough row to hoe. 
Even the Temple closes down, because no one comes. 
Ever. 
So it's a holiday for us as well.
We were invited by Jarmo and Mari Alakoski to come to their home on a lake near the town of Kerava, about 1 hour's drive north from our apartments in Espoo.  The big celebrations are on Friday evening.  So we went.  Here are some pictures from our evening in this little spot of heaven:

Erick and Bruce on the dock.   Their home is right on the lake.  Mari, who is over 70 years old, swims every day in the lake, even in the winter.  The sail board is hers.  How would you like this view out the back window of your home?

 

They live here.  Seriously.  This is looking eastward from their dock.  The lake is about 1/3 the size of Utah Lake and they claim the fishing here is some of the best in all of Finland.  We've been invited back to find out.

Looking from the dock back at the sauna, and behind that, the main house (white siding).  Erick and Joyce Erickson with Vivienne.  Going from the sauna to the lake is fun, especially in winter.

Mari & Jorma Alakoski with Vivienne & Bruce on sauna porch

The girls really enjoyed Mari's sewing room in the loft of the home.  It really was amazing.  Michelle you would have loved it.

Looking from the loft out the back yard to the lake.

Vivienne loved her dish washer.  Waist high with lights inside.

Erick and Jorma raising the Finnish flag for Juhanus.  It's a Finnish custom strictly enforced in every home.

Our meal.  This does not do justice to the meal we ate.  This is only, like, the first dish.  Lots of different sausages, including blood sausage, a delicacy which I respectfully declined to partake of, thank you very much.

An essential part of Juhanus all over the country is the "KOKKO", or bonfire.  They light it just before midnight, which is still very much like daytime because the sun only sets for a short while (It's the shortest night of the year).  The farmer agreed to let the village put a bonfire on his field near the lake, composed of undergrowth from the forest.  You can tell by comparing the height of the people just how big this "Kokko" was.

And then they light the fire.  The wood from the forest smells really good, like birch and pine.

Juhanus in Finland.  It's the best.