6 minute read
ABC in KMC: Johannisnacht
by Gina Hutchins-Inman, 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Johannisnacht, also known as St. John’s Eve, is a festive celebration associated with summer solstice and has had key significance throughout history. The precise moment of the solstice in our area was June 20, at 10:50 p.m. Central European Summer Time. This is the time at which the sun reaches its maximum declination marked by the longest day of the year. Yesterday the sun rose at 4:43 a.m. and set at 9:33 p.m., providing a sunlight duration of 16 hours and 50 minutes. In other words, summer is here!
The Roman calendar marked June 24 as the summer solstice and was celebrated during the Vestalia festival. It honored Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. Rituals included married women entering the temple of Vesta to leave offerings in exchange for blessings for their families.
In Ireland, St. John’s Eve, also known as Midsummer, has deep Celtic roots. On this magical night, great bonfires are lit, and fairs and festivals are held. The sacred Celtic fire was ceremoniously kindled, and people watched for the first flash from Howth’s western promontory (near today’s Dublin). As the signal spread, local fires blazed, encircling Ireland in a ring of flame. The Goddess Áine was also honored during this time, as she ruled as a fairy queen and banshee, associated with prosperity and abundance. People carried burning hay or straw torches to ensure fertility for the year ahead.
Stonehenge in England was meticulously designed to align with the sun’s movement. During the summer solstice, the sun rises just to the left of the outlying Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon. Standing in the middle of the monument on a midsummer’s day, the sun’s first rays shine directly into the heart of Stonehenge, where visitors can witness the sensational occurrence.
Sankthansaften owes a debt to Viking and pagan traditions. It celebrates the summer solstice and the return of light. The Vikings revered the summer solstice as the peak of summer, marked by long days and flourishing crops. They held large feasts and made offerings to honor the gods and seek prosperity.
The tradition lives on in Scandinavia, where people celebrate Sankthansaften and Midsummer is celebrated with gusto. Sweden, in particular, has vibrant fests, where people dance around a pole called Midommarstang decorated with greenery, gather for festive meals with friends and bonfires, and women and girls adorn their heads with colorful summer flowers. Overall, the season is a time to revel in the warmth of summer, connect with nature, and celebrate community and tradition.
In Denmark, St. John’s Eve is called Mittsommernacht or Sankt-Hans-Nacht. People light fires to honor the sun and nature. Dancing, singing, and flower and herb gathering are essential traditions. Dishes, such as Smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches) and Frikadeller (Danish meatballs) are enjoyed, along with aquavit or beer. Families gather in summer houses to celebrate together. Midsummer festivals are also popular in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland with their long, white nights.
Johannisnacht celebrations are more common in Germany’s northern states, and some festivities take place in communities close to Denmark. Smaller towns celebrate festivals with bonfires and gatherings.
The Viking city of Haithabu was a major trading hub, located near Schleswig in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and now houses an indoor and outdoor Viking Museum. The area has ancient megalithic graves and significant archaeological finds, also linked with solstices. Special workshops will be taking place on the weekend, such as archery training, making coins and craftsmen demonstrating ancient handcraft skills.
One somewhat different event worth mentioning in southern Germany is the Midsommar music and arts festival in the middle of nowhere in Hub/Unterreit near Munich. It takes place from June 21 to 23 and offers mainly techno beats, yoga, fire shows and a silent disco starting at 2:00 a.m.
Some Native American tribes also celebrated customs linked to the summer solstice. For example, the Sioux Sundance where young warriors engaged in singing, dancing, drumming, deep prayer, meditation, and skin piercing. Medicine wheels were stone wheels constructed with 28 spokes as a tribute to the summer solstice and aligned with sunrise and sunset during the season. A further example is Fajada Butte (Chaco Canyon, New Mexico), which is home to a solar marking site that records solstices and equinoxes (around March 20 and Sep. 23).
In our region, RheinlandPfalz’s capital Mainz, which has a vibrant Roman history, initiated a Johannisnacht Festival to celebrate the longest day of the year similar to the Romans. It also commemorates Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type printing. The festival takes place annually and is held from June 21 to 24 this year with events along the Rhein River and city center.
Kaiserslautern is hosting the “long night of culture” on June 22, with activities starting at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and some lasting until sunrise the next morning. Over 100 events will take place throughout the city, and the Japanese Garden will offer special illumination with Japanese lanterns, highlighting the ponds and waterfall, and accompanied by gentle music.
Other, not quite so traditional, events are also taking place in the area, such as the Medieval Market at Lichtenberg Castle, a castle tour in Landstuhl and the legendary lawn tractor races in Sembach.
Sunset times June 21
• Kaiserslautern: Sunset at 9:31 p.m. local time.
• North Cape, Norway: Experiences the midnight sun, with the sun setting and rising again within minutes.
• Anchorage, Alaska: Sunset at 11:42 p.m., sunrise at 4:21 a.m. local time..
• Arctic Circle: Continuous daylight during this period, while the Antarctic Circle experiences complete darkness for about 11 weeks.
Whether you engage in cultural events, dive into the Middle Ages, choose to party at a festival, spend an evening barbecuing with friends or just chill on your balcony, enjoy the longest days of the year and embrace the summer with further exciting events coming soon!
