Fun Facts

In Lithuania, Midsummer is also known as Rasos — the Festival of Dew. People once believed that the dew gathered on Midsummer morning had special power, and that herbs picked at this time were at their strongest. A wash in the morning dew, a dip in the water, a gathering of flowers and herbs — it was summer self-care long before anyone invented the phrase. Today we bring that idea indoors with bath salts, floral soaks, Sunflower Serenity and Greenman Rituals.

Across Europe, Midsummer fires were lit to mark the turning of the year, to protect homes, to encourage the harvest, and probably also because people have always loved an excuse to gather around a big fire. In Finland, the Juhannus bonfire, or kokko, was traditionally lit to keep troublesome spirits away and bring luck for the season ahead. Today’s Midsummer Madness is all about smoke, scent and bonfire spirit — incense, smudge, ritual bowls and earthy fragrance for summer evenings.

Shakespeare knew exactly what Midsummer was good for: mischief, magic, love, confusion, fairies and dreams in the woods. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was already known by 1600, and more than 400 years later we still use the phrase when the world feels a little enchanted and a little upside down. Today we celebrate the dreamy side of the season - dreamcatchers, moon macrame and protective little charms for long light nights and strange summer dreams.

In Estonia, Jaanipäev is one of the oldest and most important holidays of the year. The cities empty out, people head for the countryside, and the almost endless twilight is filled with bonfires, music, saunas, food and time outdoors. It is less about rushing and more about simply being outside while the light lasts and lasts. Today’s theme is garden magic — wind chimes, parasols, hanging décor and summer pieces for terraces, balconies, gardens and shop windows.

In Sweden, Midsummer is not Midsummer without dancing. People gather around the flower-covered midsummer pole, wear floral crowns, sing traditional songs, and somehow the whole country seems to remember how to be cheerfully ridiculous together. It is joyful, colourful and very summer. Today we dance around the sun with sarongs, sun symbols, mandalas and festival-friendly pieces for beaches, holidays, retreats and warm golden evenings.

In many Midsummer traditions, the magic really begins after sunset. This is the shortest night, when people stayed awake until dawn, watched the sky, told stories, searched for signs, and believed the border between the ordinary world and the enchanted world grew very thin. In the Slavic tradition, the mythical fern flower was said to bloom only on Midsummer night — although ferns, inconveniently, do not actually flower. Today we celebrate moon magic, selenite, moonstone, moon incense and dreamcatchers.

Midsummer has always been a green time — herbs, leaves, flowers, fields, forests and the full force of nature. In old folklore, plants gathered around the solstice were often believed to be especially powerful, and in Latvia’s Jāņi celebrations, people still make garlands, wear flower and oak-leaf wreaths, sing, dance, eat caraway cheese, drink beer and stay up late. Today Greenman steps forward with soaps, salts, oils and rituals inspired by the green, growing, slightly wild heart of summer.