Feasting on Midsummer's Eve/Sankt Hans/St John's Eve, etc.

[Mjx]

Do you celebrate midsummer/the summer solstice where you live, and if so, how important is the food aspect, and what sorts of things do you eat?

Most of my life I've lived in places where the summer solstice is just one more hot, sticky summer day (and there isn't that marked a split between the amount of light you get diring the winter and summer), and pretty much comes and goes unnoticed by most.

However, during the past few years I've been spending a fair amount of time in Denmark, where during the winter the land mostly sleeps under a very persistent, murky blanket of soft, grey cloud, and the summer is full of light. So, midsummer's eve, celebrated here as 'Sankt Hans', is a big celebration: bonfires are lit, especially along the beach, and a lot of food and booze are consumed (partly to keep one's mind off the fact that for the next six months, the days are only going to get progressively shorter).

As far as I've been able to discover, there are no traditional foods associated with the holiday, here, so I'll be putting together a beach picnic of empanadas and things for wraps, to be consumed while we watch people somehow manage to not set themselves on fire as they fling lighter fluid at the bonfires while drinking/singing.

But I'd love to hear what's going on, foodwise, in other places that celebrate midsummer: What have you got?

[Darienne]

Midsummer has always been important to us, living in Ontario. Both our birthdays are in this time slot, June 22 and 25. Also we live on a large hemp farm and every day walk our dogs around the perimeter of the farm. Well, one dog walks and the other, old and very lame, rides in splendor in the back of the John Deere Gator. And now we do it once instead of twice a day. We are getting less able also...well, I am.As for food, there are always birthday type considerations: special favorite meals, outside if it is suitable, with a cake or two cakes sometimes. There's not much in local food to be eaten yet but we are great salad eaters all the time.This year we have daughter and boy friend coming and their food preferences are paramount. Daughter wants apple pie and Chinese food. She's a vegetarian. BF won't eat North American food, but he will eat Chinese. He won't eat sweets...more pie for us. OK.As for the day in question, Midsummer's, we are going to what is purported to be the best new local felafel outlet for our personal birthday lunch. I know I shall order fatoush also. Not your usual Midsummer's fare, but it pleases us.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Darienne (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

We celebrate the solstice down here as Inti Raymi - the festival of the sun. Traditional edibles/imbibables include: gold corn tamales, roast cuy, locro de papas, chicha azul, chicha de jora (the chichas are mildly alcoholic corn-based beers), tzawar mishki (Ecuador's answer to tequila - blue agave syrup fermented until very strong with lime and cinnamon), and a tremendous punch called Cañonazo made with puntas (pure cane spirits), pineapple juice, and spices. Traditional honey and walnut torrones show up, as do a few kinds of special empanadas.

Whole suckling pigs are normally also roasted in wood ovens (as at any celebration). Inti Raymi lasts two weeks with the solstice (and, coincidentally, my birthday!) at the center of it. Today marks the start of the serious festivities, which will run for 5 days.

[Mjx]

We celebrate the solstice down here as Inti Raymi - the festival of the sun. Traditional edibles/imbibables include: gold corn tamales, roast cuy, locro de papas, chicha azul, chicha de jora (the chichas are mildly alcoholic corn-based beers), tzawar mishki (Ecuador's answer to tequila - blue agave syrup fermented until very strong with lime and cinnamon), and a tremendous punch called Cañonazo made with puntas (pure cane spirits), pineapple juice, and spices. Traditional honey and walnut torrones show up, as do a few kinds of special empanadas.

Whole suckling pigs are normally also roasted in wood ovens (as at any celebration). Inti Raymi lasts two weeks with the solstice (and, coincidentally, my birthday!) at the center of it. Today marks the start of the serious festivities, which will run for 5 days.

For you guys, this is actually the winter solstice, isn't it (and, happy birthday )? If you happen to take pictures of the festivities, I hope you'll post them here!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Hard to say whether it's winter or summer solstice. In my region, it's technically summer right now, but we've got four seasons - two "summers" (dry seasons) and two "winters" (wet seasons). Inti Raymi marks the beginning of the first summer; Inti Ñan is the beginning of the second summer. It has more to do with the time of year that the sun rises from behind Volcán Cayambe (the only volcano to straddle 0 deg) as observed from Quitsatu, a preincan observatory which is also on the equator, than anything to do with actual temperatures. The sun rising in that particular quadrant of the sky (I'm not sure if you've spent any time at the equator, Michaela, but the sun actually wanders our horizons) means that it's time to plant the black and chulpi corns, harvest the first habas and quinua, and generally it's time to cut agave for next year's tzawar mishki because those plants are about to bloom. Also, given the cycle that traditional pig breeding follows, Inti Raymi marks a time when the suckling piglets are just the right size for roasting.

I've given up on taking my camera to Inti Raymi - I've lost cameras at the festivities in the past through a combination of having too much fun (and setting the camera down, durrr, where'd I leave it?) and through unscrupulous other participants.

ETA - I should probably also mention that at 1 degree south latitude, my daylength varies by a staggering 5 minutes per year. Technically tomorrow will be the "shortest" day we see, but that's not saying very much - it'll be 11 hours and 55 minutes of daylight, and 12 hours 5 minutes of night. The sun will rise tomorrow from directly behind Volcán Tungurahua for those watching from my province.

Edited June 20, 2012 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[haresfur]

Australians don't seem to be big on solstice celebration. The only news item I saw was about people doing yoga in New York. I'm not sure if it is because the continent is at relatively low latitude or that traditional European near-solstice celebrations are out of phase. Some people do the English Christmas dinner for ~summer solstice but it makes more sense to throw something on the barbie. Right now my house could really use warming up with a roasting turkey, though. Maybe I'll just buy a chook and call it good.

[rlibkind]

In Norway it 's a big deal. Big communal bonfire, adult beverages, polse (hot docs), and rømmergrøt, a sour cream porridge with lots of sugar and cinnamon, a traditional dish for any holiday. And, iirc, it's always celebrated June 23, notwithstanding whenever the actual solstice falls.