Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Jaanipäev

From Wikipedia (this isn't a scholarly blog, okay?):

"Jaanipäev" ("John's Day" in English) was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia, although the day was given its name by the crusaders. The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday. In 1578, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian ChronicleEstonians who placed more importance on the festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals. about

Midsummer marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making.

Understandably, some of the rituals of Jaanipäev have very strong folkloric roots. The best-known Jaanik, or midsummer, ritual is the lighting of the bonfire and the jumping over it. This is seen as a way of guaranteeing prosperity and avoiding bad luck. Likewise, to not light the fire is to invite the destruction of your house by fire. The fire also frightened away mischievous spirits who avoided it at all costs, thus ensuring a good harvest. So, the bigger the fire, the further the mischievous spirits stayed away.

Estonians celebrate "Jaaniõhtu" ("John's Night" in English) on the eve of the Summer Solstice (June 23) with bonfires. On the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, old fishing boats may be burnt in the large pyres set ablaze. On Jaaniõhtu, Estonians all around the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate this important day with singing and dancing, as Estonians have done for centuries. The celebrations that accompany Jaaniõhtu are the largest and most important of the year, and the traditions mirror those of southern neighbour Latvia and northern Finland.


Jane's mother told us at breakfast on June 22 to "pack your bags, we're going camping in the South of Estonia." This was a surprise to us, as we had no idea that we were doing anything special that day, let alone driving over five hours to the middle of nowhere to sleep in a tent.

Before heading out, we got all the supplies we thought we'd need from the local convenience store.


We then began the arduous journey South, for the Midsummer's festival. Our convoy was Jane's parents holding the front, with Jane and Mary and us Americans in the rear. I snapped this one as a train crossed our path.

The road went from highway, to paved road, to gravel road before becoming little more than trampled grass. At that point, we were a little apprehensive about where exactly we were being taken. Just then, we stopped our car and got out, safe at our destination, Võrumaa County, only a few kilometers from Latvia and Russia.


This was my first ever Jaanipäev. I felt like a Jew who had converted to Christianity on December 24th. Excited as hell but also confused. The majority of Estonia was spending the weekend the same way we were: drinking, sleeping in tents, and lighting huge fires. I can deal with that.

This is what the campsite looked like pretty much all weekend:



We drank, ate grilled pork and venison, went in the sauna, and played a volleyball game that ended in only mild injuries.


We also managed to catch some creepy crawlies (more Estonian flaura and fauna pics to come.)


Also, we visited a nearby historical site, the hill where the Forest Brothers defended Estonia from the Soviets. They had dug themselves a bunch of tunnels and underground rooms like the Viet Cong, and were up there for years living the life of guerillas in the struggle for freedom. Jane and Mary tried to relive the experience briefly, but found it too damp and dark and nowhere to plug in their hair dryers.

They also had a huuuuuuge bonfire there ready to be lit, which we had to miss unfortunately.



Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Jaanipäev. I made some new friends, had some deep and friendly conversations, had good drink and great food, went in my first real sauna, and got to see how Estonians live outside of their cities.

If you want to see more photos from that weekend, I've started transferring my photos over to an online album, which you can access here:
Jaanipäev 1


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