Saturday, June 20, 2020

An alternative Midsummer in Finland

Midsummer fest is, for those living in Scandinavia and Finland, a very important day to celebrate. The long, dark winter days are gone and forgotten.
Yet, the midsummer, bringing to the whole country an endless day, is more than a reason to celebrate.
As a general rule, people would gather at the park for a picnic. They will go swimming in the sea, take long saunas, and enjoy the light, which is something more valuable than money or any material possession.



This year, however, the parks are looking like an ordinary day in summer.
No big gatherings, no cafeterias full of people, no grilling or meeting at the beach.
For once, people will have to feel glad to be allowed to gather with their families in their gardens or going in the woods, avoiding popular places, reaching the summer cottages, and enjoy what nature can offer.
The official midsummer day is the 20th of June, that is today, but most of the people will celebrate on its eve.

So, indeed the pandemic reshaped the way people are celebrating the holidays, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they quit having fun, or honoring old traditions.
To tell the truth, the change we've experienced is not completely a disaster. Perhaps it's a positive reshaping, discovering that we don't need to spend our money uselessly to be happy. All we need is to connect with the few people who really mean something in our lives and have fun.
Perhaps we will learn how to enjoy life with simple things, even with a walk in nature.

Concerning me, I will celebrate the midsummer today, and I will take this chance to drive with my husband in the nearby cities, to discover something new about the country I'm living in.
Next time I will show you something more about what I've discovered about Finland. Perhaps the Wandering Writer is back on the road.

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