Midsummer Magic - is it real?

Midsummer is the only summer event we Finns celebrate. The summer is short as said a few times, and also the weather at Midsummer can be anything between <+10C and the optimum +25C. Midsummer also involves traditions, one of them is burning a big bombfire at midnight. A short info of what it is you can more from Wikipedia.

Many single women believe in magic like collecting certain type of flowers and putting them under your pillow at Midsummer night will help you to see during the night who is your husband-to-be. Flowers or not, if you see enough wet (or dry) dreams of someone hot in your life I bet the "magic" works with certain % level.

Biggest magic people believe in is however King Alcohol. Midsummer is the second highest sales peak in local liquire store (that is state monopoly with high taxes). Most people get out of the city to summer houses by the lakes, enjoy the countyrside, eat good food (salmon, herring, new season potatoes, meat, sausage...) and drink, drink, drink.

In Finland we also have some level of schnaps culture but only the Swedish speaking minority has got the great habit of schnaps songs. And the ones who wonder what schnaps is, it is a small glass of (usually) ice cold vodka.

Of course sauna is part of the package and we do it from one round to another and another. Many people also have boats and Finnish archipelago with +100.000 islands give a great chance to enjoy boating. A bit different from the Belgian coast line. And since it is dark only for less then 2 hours, people will not easily stay indoors.

Hence my sad Midsummer magic estimation is that over 10 people will drown during this weekend. Most of them men and many with their zipper open. Sad but so realistic. I believe in good magic so I hope I am wrong in this case.

Men, keep your zippers locked and wear life jackets! And be smart with combining alcohol with vehicles, be it boat or a car.

Have a fantastic Midsummer, I know I will!!!