Smile on Saturday

Midsummer in Finland 

Art by Jeroma Tabell (1948-) Finnish naive artist 

Hilja Milkmaid 1998

Art by Vesa Sarento, Finnish Naive artist

 

Martta Wendelin - Juhannus / Midsummer

Martta Wendelin (23 November 1893 – 1 March 1986) was a Finnish artist who illustrated fairy tales and children’s books, postcards, school educational books as well as magazine and book covers. She also illustrated approximately 650 Christmas cards between the years 1931 – 1963. 

She created an image of the idyllic Finnish family.  The cozy red cottages, birch trees, lakes and rural people, caring mothers and boldly working men are still part of the Finnish mindscape that Wendelin created.

Wendelin also painted landscapes, portraits and still lives. Her career peaked in the 1930’s, when the printing industry in Finland expanded rapidly. But by the later 1950’s, her drawings no longer had their former extent as magazines began to use photographs for illustrations rather than paintings.

Happy Midsummer!

Midsummer

On June 21 Finland celebrates the Midsummer festival. Traditionally Midsummer is celebrated by all Finns at the summer solstice, and people tend to escape to their summer cottages to leave the cities empty. 

In the Finnish Midsummer celebration, bonfires play a very important part. They are burnt at lakesides and by the sea. In addition, two young birch trees are often placed on both sides of the front door to welcome visitors. In Midsummer night, a sauna is typically heated and remains heated for a number of hours.  Family and friends are invited to bathe and to grill. In folk magic, midsummer was a very potent night and  time for many small rituals, mostly for young maidens seeking suitors and fertility.

Midsummer Day is also the Day of the Finnish Flag.

Our children and grandchildren are coming to celebrate Midsummer with us and spend their summer holidays at our summer cottage.
 I'll come back again after two weeks - about :)

Happy Midsummer to all of you!