St. Hans Aften, or Midsummer Night, is celebrated in Denmark on the 23th of June, (the night before Midsummer Day, where st. John the Baptist was born) by sitting around a big bonfire, singing the Midsummer ballad, drinking and eating. In some towns a local known gives a speech. On the bonfire is traditionally placed a figure, which looks like a witch. The witches fly according to tradition to Bloksbjerg (Brocken) in Harzen Midsummer Evening and -Night. Both bonfire and witch is a new tradition, descending from German artisans that visited Kalundborg in the 1860's. Witch burnings have admittedly occurred in Danish history, but they're now associated with the traditional Midsummer rituals. The bonfires purpose was to scare away witches and evil spirits, rather than burning them.
8/30/2011
Sankt Hans
St. Hans Aften, or Midsummer Night, is celebrated in Denmark on the 23th of June, (the night before Midsummer Day, where st. John the Baptist was born) by sitting around a big bonfire, singing the Midsummer ballad, drinking and eating. In some towns a local known gives a speech. On the bonfire is traditionally placed a figure, which looks like a witch. The witches fly according to tradition to Bloksbjerg (Brocken) in Harzen Midsummer Evening and -Night. Both bonfire and witch is a new tradition, descending from German artisans that visited Kalundborg in the 1860's. Witch burnings have admittedly occurred in Danish history, but they're now associated with the traditional Midsummer rituals. The bonfires purpose was to scare away witches and evil spirits, rather than burning them.
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