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The Midsummer maypole tradition dates from the Middle Ages, while the summer solstice celebration can be traced to Norse pagan times, when the culture revolved around the mystical natural world.
In Sweden, Midsummer day is a Saturday between 20 June and 26 June, but as is usual in Sweden the actual celebration is on the eve, i.e. a Friday between 19 June and 25 June. Midsummer's Eve is a de facto public holiday in Sweden with offices and many shops closed. [74] Another tradition on a Swedish Midsummer is to end it with a skinny dip at ...
Modern pagan observances are based to varying degrees on folk traditions, regardless of the historical practices of world civilizations. [1] British neopagans popularized the Wheel of the Year in the mid-20th century, [ 2 ] combining the four solar events (" quarter days ") marked by many European peoples, with the four midpoint festivals ...
Contemporary Wiccan and Pagan communities still continues to celebrate the Maypole as a central part of their Beltane celebration as it symbolizes fertility, unity, and the energy of spring. [47] It is a significant celebration in the community as it marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.
The modern Icelandic festival of Þorrablót is sometimes considered a "pagan holiday" due to folk etymology with the name of the god Thor. [5] The name, while historically attested, is derived from Þorri which is not explicitly linked to Thor, instead being the name of a month in the historic Icelandic calendar and a legendary Finnish king.
In France, the "Fête de la Saint-Jean" (feast of St John), traditionally celebrated with bonfires (le feu de la Saint-Jean) that are reminiscent of Midsummer's pagan rituals, is a Catholic festivity in celebration of Saint John the Baptist. It takes place on June 24, (St John's day). Nowadays it is seldom celebrated.
These celebrations can range from religious observances to secular holidays, and often incorporate unique customs and foods. Major festivities include Midsummer, Christmas (Jul), Easter (Påsk), and Walpurgis Night (Valborg), Semel day. Many Swedish festivities are closely tied to the Lutheran Church of Sweden, although participation in ...
On May 1, countless people around the world celebrate the spring holiday, one that marks roughly the halfway point between the Northern Hemisphere’s Spring equinox and the summer solstice in June.