The History of Midsummer (St. John's Day) Explained

perhaps you have heard of a modern tradition called Christmas in summer in America for example we have Christmas in July not many people observe it and it isn't a real holiday long story short it's simply Christmas copied and pasted into July for the sake of having a holiday and a period in which there is a lull in holidays but what if I told you that there used to be a real Christmas and summer well it wasn't actually Christmas in summer but it was a major holiday one of the most major of the year in fact celebrated in June by the same cultures that celebrated Christmas the holidays stretched back to the Early Middle Ages and was observed for well over a thousand years declining in popularity only relatively recently it's called Saint John the Baptist day also known as mid-summer and it falls each year on June 24th ladies and gentlemen hello and welcome to fire of learning in this video we're going to be talking about the history and practices of this holiday how it was celebrated the legend associated with it the food that was eaten why it may have disappeared where it didn't disappear and more many especially in the English-speaking world were probably first introduced to the Festival of Midsummer through the 2019 film mid-summer thus I'd like to make it clear from the start that that movie is a horror movie about a fictional cult not a factual representation of Midsummer in fact the movie has little to do with the real generally quite light-hearted and fun celebration I'm sure that's a relief well for most of you anyway but there are some elements within the movie that are representations of real customs of this holiday celebrated not only in Sweden but other countries as well and not very long ago across Europe in various forms to begin let's ask who is the Saint John of Saint John's day his full story is too long to tell here but in summary Saint John the Baptist was Jesus's second cousin the son of Mary's cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah he is believed to have been chosen as the prophet who was to immediately precede the Messiah to prepare the way for him in the Bible it is said that John foretold that Christ was soon to come and directed his followers to follow Christ after his baptism a baptism which John the Baptist himself performed he was later executed by King Herod and his niece wife herodias for his criticism of their marriage which he believed violated God's law June 24th is Saint John's Feast Day a feast day doesn't necessarily mean a day on which to eat a lot of food it refers to an annual observance of a given Saint although on this particular Feast Day people did do a lot of feasting the day is observed by various Christian groups such as Catholics the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant denominations such as anglicans and lutherans his feast day was placed on June 24th because early Christian Scholars marked it as his birthday we'll talk about why later importantly St John is not worshiped on this day he and his deeds are celebrated St John's feast day was established as late as the 4th Century A.D in the latter ages of the Roman Empire the Roman Empire fell in the west but Christianity and with it Saint John's day endured and would further spread gradually throughout the centuries the holiday would take on more and more importance it was a day of rest in which three masses were held a vigil a dawn mass and a midday Mass while the date would retain its religious importance throughout much of its history it would also begin to take on a much broader cultural meaning in this time mid-summer became a day of festivity in secular Customs alongside its religious aspects much like Christmas although we do not know much about these early celebrations furthermore of course celebrations varied across time and to this day vary across cultures St John's day is on June 24th but celebration could last for days before and after this day Saint John's Eve also called Midsummer Eve June 23rd was a date of equal importance often celebrations would begin on Saint John's Eve The Joint feast day of Saints Peter and Paul June 29th and thus the evening of June 28th were often included in the celebration period as well this was a special time for Europeans it was the height of the warmer season near the summer solstice thus the name Midsummer it fell in the middle of the Agricultural cycle in between the spring sowing and summer haymaking in northern Europe it was a time to take a break it was a time for parties family friends and Community for feasting music and games it was a time for reverence to God and for age-old traditions it was also as we shall see a time for folklore and Superstition many believed that on mid-summer Eve Magic in the Supernatural were all the more abundant in our world while Traditions vary some things are universal one of the central elements of a Saint John's Day celebration is fire from Ireland to Finland to Spain to Greece bonfires were often lit on Saint John's Eve at Sunset and kept throughout the night into early mid-summer morning these included both family and large communifiers there was emphasis on these communal fires being lit on mountains and hilltops in some areas and on beaches and along rivers and others but as St John's fire could be lit anywhere even the center of town it is recorded that the English King's Henry VII and Henry VII ordered the construction of mid-summer bonfires in their great Halls often the lighting of the fire would be preceded by speeches and prayers in some cases the oldest present was tasked with lighting the fire while the youngest would throw an animal bone into it this would be followed by a number of other rituals in the aforementioned merry-making a central tradition found found all across Europe was to jump over the fires doing so is said to bring good luck weeds and old furniture were often tossed into the fires with what they put in modern furniture I would be careful emulating that today unless you want a mini Chernobyl on your hands animal bones were often included as fuel for the fires which is where we get the term bonfire from bone fire it was also believed that Holy objects such as old rosary beads could be destroyed in St John's fires without disrespect as the fires wound down its Embers and Ashes might be distributed to the members of the community who believe these remnants to have special properties the following morning in many areas cattle would be driven through the remaining ashes and the ashes would be spread on the crops for good luck another fiery mid-summer tradition found in multiple areas involved rolling a cartwheel covered with straw up a hill setting it Ablaze then letting it Loose to roll downhill a description of such a practice from whales in the 1820s states that if the fire went out before the wheel reached the bottom of the hill it was a sign of a poor harvest to come but if it stayed lit all the way down a Bountiful Harvest could be expected as festive as these rituals were they were also matters of seriousness mid-summer was the time just before the crops and livestock would be the most sensitive to disease likewise diseases like plague and malaria would be worse for humans in the late summer Traditions like these connected to Christian belief in some circumstances but also to a belief in folk magic and others with an emphasis on blessing the food supply and protection against harm were reflective of real anxieties people had at this time of year throughout Europe religious processions and plays focusing on the life of Saint John were common on the streets around this time fairs and parades were also common with the introduction of fireworks to Europe in the late Middle Ages they were very naturally associated with the holiday in places like Italy swimming and other Customs involving going into or at least two of the water were also ubiquitous not only because it was summer but also in reference to Saint John the Baptist's role as a Baptist as well this far back as the 14th century for example petrarch records a custom of German women rinsing their hands in the Rhine River to wash away bad luck on this state naturally baptisms are common on Saint John's day the decorations for mid-summer emphasized the liveliness of the summer season incorporating a colorful variety of flowers and plants one particular example is Saint John's Wort a herb which tends to flower around Saint John's day thus the name women in many countries such as Poland wear crowns of flowers on their heads which they may toss into a local body of water for the men to jump in and race to retrieve men sometimes wear crowns of leaves in Sweden a maple is often erected on mid-summer this is a great wooden Pole found in the traditions of many Germanic cultures from England to Sweden they're often decorated with leaves and flowers people may gather to dance in circles around the maypole or to Feast around it the maypole is sometimes said to have originated as a symbol of fertility but the majority of Scholars reject this explanation historian mircha eliade argued Maples to be decorations that heralded the return of the warm times this is probably why it's associated in England where summer comes earlier more with Mayday on May 1st interestingly bonfires are actually less common in Sweden on Midsummer and more common on the night before May Day there called while perga's night the 15th century English historian John Stowe wrote of Saint John's day emphasizing the social nature of the celebration suggesting it was a community building event in which people were encouraged to socialize and make friends with other members of the community multiple accounts describe a custom of hosts typically the wealthier leaving food like meat or sweet bread and drink out for strangers often the impoverished and inviting them to sit with them or even to come inside their homes and dine with them speaking of food there are a wide array of foods popular on St John's as you might expect many of these involve fruits and other Foods available during early summer in Sweden wild strawberries which are different from garden strawberries are easily found around mid-summer they are picked and gathered on straws and also included in numerous dishes such as a kind of strawberry and cream cake in Ireland a simple dessert called goody was popular on Saint John's Eve made from breadcrumbs milk sugar and spices boiled together often over the St John's fire itself fish and potatoes were also eaten by several cultures at this time in Spain specifically areas such as Catalonia one may find the Coca de San Juan coca refers to a broad variety of pastries the Coca de San Juan is often made with things like pine nuts and candied fruits as mentioned there is a magical aspect to this holiday somewhat like Halloween or Christmas perhaps something in between the two St John's Eve was regarded as a knight in which the mystical and the supernatural were all the more abundant in our world indeed the bonfires were sometimes said to be lit for the purpose of driving evil spirits witches dragons and alike away herbs like Saint John's Wort if picked on Saint John's Eve especially were said to have much more potent healing powers hanging it on a building could keep evil spirits away across Europe one could find Willow wisps appearing on Midsummer Eve especially if a person located a mythical flowering Fern magical charms were said to manifest in hidden locations such as rings made by snakes that granted its wearer things like wealth power or invisibility in English Legend states that there is an ancient Oak Tree in Broadwater in West Sussex around which a group of skeletons can be observed on Midsummer Eve dancing until dawn it was said in Ireland that if a house slay in the path of fairies midnight noises and Supernatural manifestations would be experienced by the inhabitants on Midsummer Eve as far back as the Middle Ages divination rituals or future telling were popular on a holiday many such rituals focused on love because of the supernatural Aura surrounding the holiday such rituals redeemed all the more potent there are far too many examples to list them all out but a typical one can be observed in Sweden to this day the tradition involves a girl picking special flowers usually seven and placing them under her pillow on Midsummer Eve while she sleeps it is said that the face of the man she will one day marry will appear in her dreams this tradition was once common across or many countries like England the first that I have found in the name of Jesus Christ I pluck it from the ground as Joseph loved sweet Mary and took her for his dear so in a dream this night I hope my true love will appear a similar English tradition involved three girls baking what is called a dumb cake Legend tells that if one bakes a dumb cake on mid-summer Eve they shall become an idiot no I'm joking dumb in this case means Silent not stupid so named because the girls who bake the cake together must remain completely silent without even a whisper throughout its preparation only two of the girls are actually meant to bake the cake the third is tasked with placing pieces of it under each of their pillows like the flower tradition there is said to dream of their future husbands after having done so not every divination ritual pertain to love however for example another Legend held that if one fasted all day on mid-summer Eve then sat by the local church at midnight they would see the spirits of those who were to die in the coming year appear walk up to the church door and knock on it in the order in which they were to die this was also done on Saint Mark's Eve April 24th by the later Middle Ages mid-summer had become a quarter day in countries like England quarter days served as important Milestone dates placed roughly every three months as the name implies around which various Affairs would be based for example things like leases terms of employment educational activities and political terms would often begin and end on these states the others in England were Annunciation day March 25th mikomas September 29th and Christmas December 25th the early church believed June 24th was St John's birthday because the Gospel of Luke explicitly states that Saint John was conceived six months before Christ the Bible doesn't say when exactly either of these dates were but because early Christian Scholars believed he was conceived around Passover on the Annunciation day I just mentioned March 25th they marked the birth nine months after thus St John's day fell six months before December 25th or June 24th but why the 24th and not the 25th the answer isn't clear but it may relate to how the Romans counted dates Christmas was placed on the eighth day before the Collins or the first day of the month of January Saint John's day may have followed suit being placed on the eighth day before the Collins of July but as there are only 30 days in June this would place it a day earlier but is it possible that the holiday also has connections to even older Pagan festivals celebrated around this time of year prior to the introduction of Christianity in Europe if so which Traditions derive from Pagan practices ancient religion and how it relates to the holidays is a difficult complex and murky subject there's a lot that is unknown answering this question was the depth it deserves would require A thorough review of the primary sources relating to each individual component of the holiday in the hopes of getting a partial unclear answer which would be debated for the next Century that's beyond what this introductory video aims to do so the short answer is that it's difficult to say St John's day is still celebrated in places like Cornwall which revived it Scandinavia the Baltic southern Europe and even places outside Europe like the Philippines and much of Latin America in Quebec the holiday is quite popular though it has been separated from many of its religious and full customs and is mostly A Patriotic Festival there are still some celebrations in areas of countries like the UK Ireland France and Germany but they are much less common than they once were having slowly faded away over the course of centuries in places like the United States and Oceania the holiday is almost totally unheard of apart from a few small scattered exceptions why what happened to St John's day The Disappearance of a holiday can be as complicated and uncertain as its Origins however there are several things which are clear in the 16th century numerous different Protestant groups began to emerge across Europe these groups had differing opinions about things like the holidays in fact they still do some groups like the Puritans of England were extremely critical of them they pursued not only an end to mid-summer but also holidays like Christmas as well they viewed Midsummer as a festival linked to the traditional catholic order scoffed at folk elements like magic fires and charms and were aghast at the Public's behavior on such days holidays prior to the Victorian era were often full of drunkenness debauchery and all forms of what was considered unhinged sin Henry VIII himself later became hostile to the holiday because of the potential for a celebration to turn into a riot in the 18th century those who disdained holidays were joined by secularists who sought to separate their society varieties from what we're seeing as archaic religious traditions and governments seeking to reduce the number of days the working population had off of work many German and Scandinavian countries actually officially banned the celebration around this time along with a list of other holidays things like Lifestyle Changes following industrialism might have contributed to The Disappearance as well no longer were the rituals and traditions connected to agriculture so important to the populations increasingly distance from it there is a record from an elderly man from Limerick Ireland presented in the book The Year in Ireland by Kevin danaher which discusses celebrating Midsummer written in 1943 the author speaks of it largely as a memory which their Elders told them about and says that the remaining Traditions were mostly only observed by children by that point this suggests that faded in popularity only in the late 19th and early 20th century in some areas but if Christmas was swept up into all of this too why would wasn't mid-summer revived like Christmas was again it's difficult to say part of the answer might actually lie in the United States many European holidays were revived and even globalized at least in part because of American influence the most glaring explanation for why Americans never developed an interest in Saint John's day is that it falls too close to Independence Day on July 4th the two holidays certainly aren't the same thing but they do have enough in common to wear any immigrants pining for a Saint John's Day celebration were probably satisfied with exchanging it for the great Summer Festival already in place in America only a week and a half later I hope you enjoyed this video If so I invite you to come check out the rest of fire of learning and to subscribe to see more videos like this in the future to support the channel you may make a donation on patreon the link to which is in the description a special thanks to my current patrons listed here I also run a science channel called lucinox so if that sounds interesting be sure to check that out too thank you for watching and I would like to wish you a happy St John's or Midsummer Eve and Day [Music]

Channel: Fire of Learning

Views: 23,629

Keywords: Midsommar, June 24

Id: S_KpDmFSJ4o

Length: 20min 24sec (1224 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 01 2023