Midsummer 2013 - 24th June 20138379509

The feast of Midsummer Day is an infamous celebration titled by the man closest to the son of God. Religious context couldn’t be more appropriate for a Midsummer day actually originating on account of the heavens. This celebration is in regard to the summer solstice, the day at which the earth leans closest to the sun. In fact, even before the birth, life, and beheading of St. John were known to man, this Midsummer day was celebrated. Not by Christians, or even monotheists. The pagans called it Litha, and though the name may have changed, the experience is uniformly intact with traditions alike. If the wagon wheels are searched in Midsummer 2013, people may find some of those wagon wheels decaying in wood.

Majorly a European tradition, observance has been adopted by Americans and Canadians as well as being an annual occurrence to the nation of Persia, known as Iran in a more politically correct light. They, however, call this day Tiregan. The old story goes that a single man was told to fire an arrow, or “Tir” in Persian, to settle a land dispute. Where the arrow landed would determine the border between what was soon to be Iran and Tehran. Tehran now happens to be a city in Iran quite close to the Caspian Sea, a fact indicative to the presence of water in Tiregan festivities.

The Caspian Sea connects Iran with Russia, and that isn’t the only way water bridges the two. As a fertility celebration in Russia, Ivan’s Midsummer Day includes water likewise. Ivan is accordingly Russian for John. Russia also happens to practice some rather unique festivities at this time of year. Such as tying a horse in place and then dancing around it. As well as girls letting flower petals they’ve strong together float down rivers and then attempting to derive their futures from the petals’ path. Apparently some pagan traditions survived conversion.

Ironically it seems Christmas aside from Midsummer is also a continuation of pagan celebration, that of the winter solstice, or midwinter. Opposite sides of the world are inhabited by different people praising different things and at the same time they’re both, in part, hypocrites. Taking a moment to embrace juxtapositions, Iran and Russia have singing, dancing, and water, whereas Germany has singing, dancing, and fire. Fire, admittedly, resonates more with the summer solstice (Midsummer), at least opposed to water, singing, and dancing. Chagrin in conflict with heathen customs was notably expressed by the town council of Nuernberg in June of 1953, but like the fire of the sun singing and dancing survived.

Germany’s neighbor France is also accustom to fires. Days (apart from Midsummer) of medieval times involved the burning of cats in what is known to certain regions of France as a “chavande” or bonfire. Felines were thought to be a symbol of the occult at the time. Bonfires have been privy to the Irish as well, although they are usually elevated on a hilltop. In the present day fireworks can be found at fairs, carnivals, and concerts in Ireland. The United Kingdom has had its fair share of fires as well. If luck would have it, however, Stonehenge may be open to the public on Midsummer Day so that merriment may take place thereabout.

Though there may be a small amount of animosity towards the predeceasing pagans, many rituals are shared. One would even be inclined to look beyond religious connotations and deal with hard facts accepted by the scientific community. The source of our warmth, light, and entire solar system happens to be most generous on one particular day, the midsummer date. If the appreciation of that idea can bring us together at the expense of a few rather fantastic notions, perhaps they ought to go [http://midsummer2013.yolasite.com/midsummer 2013]