Mid-summer celebration originates from the time before Christianity, in Finland. There are many stories why its celebrated. The summer solstice was important time and day for people who lived so near with nature. One story tells that to be fest for Ukko. God of weather, crop and thunder. In the Kalevala he is mentioned as the highest god. (Kalevala is our national epic.)
People in Finland had annual calendar already before christianity. It was rythm by season and crop circulation. Fests were related with season circulation and often sanctified to gods.
Nowadays the word Juhannus (=mid summer fest) refers to Johannes Kastaja (=John the Baptist). The chruch changed the name and meaning of that fest, when they were not able to remove the whole holiday. So they did to almost all our old holidays. That´s why many of our fests are weird combination of pagan habits and christianity. But who remember what Jonh the Baptist have to do with Juhannus? (before you google that). One original name for Juhannus was mittumaria/midmaria or something like that. People burned bonfires, made magic, ate, drinking, dansing and so on.
(Or why easter fest is collection of Jesus crucifixion, chocolate eggss, witches, bunnies and grass. Eggs, grass and so on comes from Europe. They were as pagans as we were.)
Today Juhannus is spent with friends and family, willingly in countryside. Home party, grilling, eating, drinking, dansing (=lavatanssit), some still burning bonfires (=juhannus kokko). Very country -side-like going. I bet no one remember the Ukko god or John the Babtist. I´m proud of those "pagan" habits, that are a little pieces of saved culture history. Saved hudreds or even thousads years from generation to generation.
