How to do Juhannus – the celebration of midsummer in Helsinki 2024
What is Juhannus?
Juhannus started from the pagan midsummer festivals which focused on a prosperous upcoming harvest after a long cold winter. It was said that witches and ferries would be confused by the short nights and often let slip visions of the future. Moving to more modern time, the new name Juhannus comes from associating the date with celebrations for John the Baptist. But for the average Finn, the holiday is about celebrating summer outdoors with closest people and cold beer.
The longest day of the year has traditionally been very quiet in Helsinki. As it was mentioned, Midsummer is typically spent with friends or in family circle either partying or relaxing. Years before, everybody left the city to countryside and summer cabins on the lakes. That’s why, while celebrating the summer solstice, you could experience riding a bicycle in the middle of the empty main street of Helsinki like a Ghost town. Countryside get-away is still a typical thing to do but staying in the city is gaining popularity.
Typical Juhannus for Finns
The two most common traditions for Juhannus celebrations are bathing in endless number of Finnish saunas and lighting up the bonfires. In the ancient times, it was a belief that washing up in a lake and sauna from Juhannus until the 2nd of august is a special period when you can clean your body and soul from all the bad energy you’ve got within the year.
What goes to the second one – bonfires or “kokko” were lit during Midsummer to keep evil spirits away and ensure a good crop come time for harvesting. Making noise and getting intoxicated has been part of Midsummer celebrations for ages. According to past beliefs, loud behavior would bring luck and drive away evil spirits. Some thought the amount of drink consumed in Midsummer would correlate to the magnitude of the crop at the end of summer.
But, of course, it’s difficult to imagine this day without barbecuing, fishing and boating, which are also part of cottage Finnish life.
Juhannus (Midsummer) in Helsinki in 2024:
So, as you could have noticed, Finnish Midsummer party traditions run deep. Typically, countless events and festivals are held all over the country, with parties often lasting beyond the wee hours, simply because it’s hard to tell when the night ends and a new day starts!
Below, we share with you some of the more traditional options to have a great Juhannus in the Finnish capital:
Classic Juhannus event on 21st of June in Helsinki is called Juhannusvalkeat @Seurasaari. In the museum island there are plenty of traditional dances, music and bonfires to enjoy the magical night less night outdoors.
A very popular and always trendy option is We Love Helsinki Juhannustanssit @Kuudeslinja. They have an amazing program that starts in early June and culminates with traditional flower dresses and couples dancing the hipster twist on all three nights of Juhannus.
On the other side of the City at Korjaamon Juhannus, on 21st and 22nd you can a very special Juhannus with food, art and innovative performances by Dumari and Antti Autio.
Allas Seapool is one of the best places to enjoy nightlife in Helsinki. They have many live music events and, this year, they bring back a big Juhannus classic, STIG! on the 21st.
A popular urban nature experience is to pack a tent and go to sleep with friends on Pihlajasaari island. Boat connection is provided by JT-line.
Midnight cruises are also organized by a boat companies Strömma.
Additionally, since the city will most likely be peaceful and serene this time of the year, it is a great time to catch up on the most intriguing sights, such as Senate Square and the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. Korkeasaari zoo and Linnanmäki amusement park are usually also open during midsummer. This can be a great way to experience these exciting parks without huge crowds and lines of people.
Juhannusvalkeat: https://www.juhannusvalkeat.fi/new/ohjelma-2/
Juhanustanssit: https://kuudeslinja.com/
Korjaamon Juhannus. https://korjaamo.fi/event/korjaamon-juhannus-dumari-antti-autio-lyyti/
Allas: https://allasseapool.fi/allas-live-21-6-2024-juhannus-stig/
So, Midsummer in Helsinki 2024 can be a lot of fun! For more info it’s a good idea to follow Helsinki Events or MyHelsinki to see what is going on in Helsinki. And also, to get an idea of Helsinki general, you can always start with our Helsinki Free Walking Tour.