Appreciation My favorite time of the year! (1 Viewer)

[maruberry]

It is the evening of the 23rd of June and the early morning of the 24th aka Jaanilaupäev/jaanipäev in Estonia!

At the evening of jaanilaupäev after the sun sets everybody lights a fire! The bigger the better (As long as it is safe naturally) Families come together, friends gather, neighbourhoods get together and talk for hours! It is just such a friendly and nice holiday.

There are no expectations, no gifts, no rules and no obligations. Just the fire, the barbeque, the food and the company! I LOVE IT!

And after everybody has gone to sleep and the fire has gotten small I love to stay next to the fire alone for a few more hours just looking at the last remains of the fire and the coals. It is beautiful and so peaceful!

Here are some pictures I took of our fire this year from the pile of branches and logs to the fire at its highest point to what I was just sitting next to for like 3 hours.

 

[gongchan]

Woah, I'd never heard of this before! It sounds like a really fun time!

 

[maruberry]

Woah, I'd never heard of this before! It sounds like a really fun time!

It's really important in some parts of Europe. I know for Latvians and Estonians it's more important than christmas.

 

[kuro]

this sounds so relaxing and enjoyable
I just came back from Michigan, where we also had a campfire, and there were lots of people there too, it was my first time, and I loved it

have fun and make some memories~

 

[gongchan]

It's really important in some parts of Europe. I know for Latvians and Estonians it's more important than christmas.

Really?! That sounds amazing! We don't really have any nationwide celebrations like that here in America, but my family does some celebrations like this but in different ways (my family is Scottish!)

this sounds so relaxing and enjoyable
I just came back from Michigan, where we also had a campfire, and there were lots of people there too, it was my first time, and I loved it

have fun and make some memories~

:0000 where in Michigan?! I was born there!

 

[kuro]

Really?! That sounds amazing! We don't really have any nationwide celebrations like that here in America, but my family does some celebrations like this but in different ways (my family is Scottish!)


:0000 where in Michigan?! I was born there!

we went to Munising, and Mackinac Island really, for the waterfalls and fudge lol. We drove from Wisconsin so yeah :/

 

[Buttercup]

This actually sounds like Christmas, this also sounds pretty fun and peaceful.
Watching the fire, a family gathering so affectionate.

 

[maruberry]

Really?! That sounds amazing! We don't really have any nationwide celebrations like that here in America, but my family does some celebrations like this but in different ways (my family is Scottish!)

That sounds kinda sad to me. Cities are empty on the 23rd in Estonia because everyone has traveled to the countryside for it...

 

[gongchan]

we went to Munising, and Mackinac Island really, for the waterfalls and fudge lol. We drove from Wisconsin so yeah :/

Oh cool! I love Munising, being right by Lake Superior is so great to me! The falls there are AMAZING

 

[maruberry]

This actually sounds like Christmas, this also sounds pretty fun and peaceful.
Watching the fire, a family gathering so affectionate.

It is quite similar, but I prefer it over christmas because Christmas has this pressure of gifts. It has so much hype around it and it causes so much stress before the holiday and during.

Jaanipäev doesn't have that stress.

 

[kuro]

Oh cool! I love Munising, being right by Lake Superior is so great to me! The falls there are AMAZING

yeah, they really are beautiful

 

[gongchan]

That sounds kinda sad to me. Cities are empty on the 23rd in Estonia because everyone has traveled to the countryside for it...

America is really sucky when it comes to culture like this tbh,,, I'm just glad my family at least brings some Scottish traditions and holidays here! For example, in Scotland, you have month long holidays that mark the start of new seasons, and we do that even here!

 

[Buttercup]

It is quite similar, but I prefer it over christmas because Christmas has this pressure of gifts. It has so much hype around it and it causes so much stress before the holiday and during.

Jaanipäev doesn't have that stress.

I would love to celebrate it though does people who live out of Estonia celebrate Jaanipäev?

 

[maruberry]

I would love to celebrate it though does people who live out of Estonia celebrate Jaanipäev?

Yeah, it's just as big if not bigger in Latvia, I think people in finland celebrate it, some people in Sweden etc. Mostly in northern and eastern europe is where it is celebrated!

Nobody is stopping you from celebrating it aswell! It's just generally really nice! There are also some additional traditions that come with it but those aren't mandatory.

 

[lexus]

Sounds like it was really fun

 

[Darkyoda47]

Wow this sounds so calming and relaxing