Midsummer is an important celebration in my home country Finland, as it is in the rest of the Nordic countries.
Nordic Midsummer Traditions
At Midsummer we Nordcs leave the cities behind and escape to the country. We consume a lot of good food, including soused herring, gravadlax, dill scented new potatoes, and strawberry cake. With, you guessed it, quite a lot of alcohol. Vodka shots, accompanied by drinking songs are enjoyed by many.
Afterward, the Swedes sing about frogs while they dance around a Maypole while we Finns swim in lakes and light fires. You may notice that the Finnish customs are by far the more dangerous, especially when enjoyed while inebriated…
Nightless Night
The point of the Midsummer celebration is the nightless night. The sun doesn’t set at all near the Arctic Circle. Further south, in places like Helsinki and Stockholm, it dips behind the horizon for just a few moments. Here the night never really grows dark.
Traditionally, young women pick up wildflowers and place them under their pillows before they go to bed. This is supposed to make them dream about their future husbands. In reality, many children are conceived in the Nordic countries over the Midsummer weekend, so rather than dreaming, my guess is that many are rather more active during the magical midsummer night!
The Young Heart
One of my books, The Young Heart, the prequel to my Nordic Heart series of books is set at Midsummer. It’s a story of Kaisa when at 14, she’s seduced by the 21-year-old Matti. This bittersweet story, dubbed “The Finnish Lolita” is partly based on my own life, as is the rest of the series. If you sign up for my mailing list, you’ll get a free copy of this emotional novella.
The Nordic Heart Boxset $0.99
I hope you have a wonderful Midsummer weekend. If you’d like to read more of my fiction set in Finland, The Nordic Heart Boxset is just $0.99 this Midsummer weekend. This compilation has four full-length novels and 700 pages, so this offer is quite unbeatable, really.
Kaisa has her future planned out – until a chance encounter with a naval officer changes her life forever. Follow Kaisa’s journey in this sweeping boxset filled with secrets, love, and second chances.
Hurry, the price of the boxset goes up to $5.99 on Monday 21st June 2020. Tap here to start reading The Nordic Heart series now!
