Unfortunately, because the country never bought into the Daylight Savings concept, even when the days start to get longer during the summer in Japan, they don’t get that long. Now, if you were looking for a place where the nights get really long, your best bet is to head out to where the sun hardly sets at all during the summer, and the young ladies practice centuries-old magic…
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From what we hear, one of those places is Finland. During the summer, the northernmost part of Finland goes for 60 days without a sunset, and according to the Visit Finland website, two-thirds of the people on the planet who get to experience the Midnight Sun are from Finland.
It’s not a surprise, then, that the country has developed a wide variety of folkloric traditions that revolve around these “white nights.” Pagan rituals—meant to pray for prosperity and good harvests—were held for centuries, and while the Finnish people may not still be asking the gods for favorable fortune under a bright night sky, this time of year still holds a bit of a magical feeling that must be experienced. You can get a taste of these days of old and the traditions that accompanied them from this brief video.
Follow these three maidens as they conduct rites designed to bring them a happy marriage, dance around an evening bonfire, and hang out in a steam bath. You know, all those things that one does on a summer night.
An English-language version can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2tinqjEfqw
If this doesn’t pique your interest about getting out to experience the magic of Land of the Midnight Sun for yourself, we’re not sure what will.
