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Jaanipäev (''St John's Day'' in English) and jaaniõhtu, also ''jaanilaupäev'' (''
Saint John's Eve Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, feast day of Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the very few feast days marking a saint's birth, rather than their death. The Gospel of Luke ...
'' in English) are the most important days in the
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
n calendar. The short summer seasons with long days and brief nights hold special significance for the people of Estonia. Jaanipäev is celebrated on the night between June 23 and 24, the Western Christian feast of the
nativity of Saint John the Baptist Nativity or The Nativity may refer to: Birth of Jesus Christ * Nativity of Jesus, the Gospel stories of the birth of Jesus Christ * Nativity of Jesus in art, any depiction of the nativity scene ** ''Nativity'' (Barocci), a 1597 painting by Fede ...
, which is a few days after the summer solstice.


History of St. John’s Day

Jaanipäev, although not known by that name in the pre-Christian era, it was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia. After the country was Christianised, the feast took the name Saint John's Day, or Jaanipäev (in Estonian). The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end
fertility ritual Fertility rites are religious rituals that are intended to stimulate reproduction in humans or in the natural world. A group of people performing such rites is a fertility cult. Such rites may involve the sacrifice of "a primal animal, which must b ...
s surrounding this holiday. In 1578, with some disgust,
Balthasar Russow Balthasar Russow (1536–1600) was one of the most important Livonian and Estonian chroniclers. Russow was born in Reval, Livonia (now Tallinn, Estonia). He was educated at an academy in Stettin, Pomerania (now Szczecin, Poland). He was the Lut ...
wrote in his ''Livonian Chronicle'' about Estonians who placed more importance on feasting than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting
bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve. Etymology The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling i ...
s, drinking, dancing, and singing. For Estonians, ''jaanipäev'' celebrations were merged with the celebration of ''võidupüha'' (Victory Day) during the
War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...
when Estonian forces defeated the German troops in the Battle of Cēsis (Võnnu) on 23 June 1919. After this battle against Estonia's traditional oppressors, ''jaaniõhtu'' and the lighting of the traditional bonfires became linked with the ideals of independence and freedom.


Significance

''Jaanipäev'' marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making. 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. 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 then 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. Midsummer's eve is important for lovers. Among Estonian fairy tales and literature there is the tale of two lovers, Koit (dawn) and Hämarik (dusk). These two lovers see each other only once a year and exchange the briefest of kisses on the shortest night of the year. Earth-bound lovers go into the forest looking for the flower of the fern which is said to bloom only on that night because ferns are not seed-bearing plants and do not flower. Also on this night, single people can follow a detailed set of instructions involving different flowers to see whom they are going to marry. Former President
Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian writer, film director, and statesman. He was the country's foreign minister from 1990 to 1992 and President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Early life Meri was born in Tallin ...
has provided another perspective on ''jaanipäev'' in his work ''Hõbevalge'' (''Silverwhite'', 1976). Meri suggests that the ''jaanipäev'' traditions re-enact the fall of the Kaali meteorite in
Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...
. The meteorite's fall is also said to be the inspiration for Nordic and Baltic mythological stories about the Sun falling onto the Earth. This idea suggests that the present-day bonfires and celebrations actually symbolise Estonia's connection with its ancient past. During their occupation of Estonia, the Soviets made no attempt to stop ''jaanipäev'' celebrations. For Estonians, however, ''jaanipäev'' remained tied to Estonia's victory during the War of Independence and the securing of a free and independent state. ''Jaanipäev'', therefore, always reminded Estonians of their independence in the past, despite Soviet attempts to eliminate such ideas. The tradition before the Soviet occupation, which has now been restored, was for a fire to be lit by the Estonian President on the morning of ''
võidupüha Võidupüha (or Victory Day in English language, English or the Victory Day in the Battle of Võnnu in Estonian language, Estonian) is a Public holidays in Estonia, public holiday in Estonia which occurs on June 23. The holiday has been celebrat ...
'' (June 23). From this fire, the flame of independence was carried across the country to light the many bonfires. During the transition to the re-establishment of Estonia's de facto independence, ''jaanipäev'' became an unofficial holiday, with many work places closing down. It once again became an official national holiday in 1992.


See also

* Summer Solstice celebrations *
Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of Eu ...
*
Saint John's Eve Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, feast day of Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the very few feast days marking a saint's birth, rather than their death. The Gospel of Luke ...
*
Jāņi Jāņi () is an annual Latvians, Latvian festival celebrating the summer solstice. Although, astronomically the solstice falls on the 21st or 22nd of June, the public holidays—Līgo Day and Jāņi Day—are on the 23rd and 24th of June. The d ...
(Latvia) *
Joninės Saint Jonas' Festival, also known as ''Rasos'' (''Dew Holiday''), ''Joninės'', ''Kupolė'', Midsummer Day or Saint John's Day) is a midsummer folk festival celebrated on 24 June all around Lithuania. The celebrations often involve flower wreat ...
(Lithuania)


References

{{Reflist Culture of Estonia Saint John's Day