Midsummer is one of the most anticipated celebrations among Finns. It is when people stay up late (the sun doesn’t set at all or only briefly), gather on the beach, enjoy traditional delicacies and light a bonfire. Of course, going to sauna and taking a dip in a lake or sea is part of the fun. A whisk made of birch branches is an essential part of a Midsummer sauna.
Many Finns spend Midsummer in their cottages on the shores of thousands of lakes or on the coast by the sea.
Traditional Midsummer delicacies include, for example, so-called “new potatoes” (new harvest) with dill and butter, various fish dishes (especially flamed or smoked), grilled meat with side dishes, preserved herring and, of course, sausage baked over a campfire. For dessert, we enjoy, for example, cake with cream and strawberries or blueberry pie.
For some, ancient Midsummer traditions are still an essential part of Midsummer. If you put seven different flowers under your pillow on Midsummer night, you will see your future spouse in your dreams. Rolling around naked in a grain field, especially a rye field, promotes fertility and finding a spouse (or maybe at least some mosquito bites). You can maybe see also your future wife or husband’s reflection on the surface of the water, when looking into a well. For some reason, Midsummer magic is often associated with finding a spouse.
At Hotel Kalevala, you can enjoy the best of Midsummer – spend the night by the lake, enjoy the bright summer nights and gather around a bonfire with friends. At the end of the day, you can slip into the comfortable hotel sheets. You can also try Midsummer magic! This year 2026 we celebrate midsummer on 19th – 20nd of June.
