On 23 and 24 June, Estonia celebrates several holidays: the Midsummer’s Day with Midsummer’s Eve along with Victory Day, which marks Estonia’s victory in the Battle of Võnnu during the Estonian War of Independence in 1919.
Midsummer’s Eve is the shortest and lightest night of the year. The sight of the sun not setting creates an almost magical ambiance, which has inspired many authors and artists: in 1840, Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1798-1850) published his mythical folk tale Dawn and Dusk (“Koit ja Hämarik”). It is essentially a love story between Dawn (a young man) and Dusk (a young woman) who meet during the shortest night of the summer and fall in love. However, since they have important duties year-round – Dusk brings the sun to sleep and Dawn carries it to the sky – they only get to meet on Midsummer’s Eve.
You can read more about Estonian traditions and the importance of this holiday from Estonian World: https://estonianworld.com/life/why-do-estonians-celebrate-midsummer-on-23-june/
Photo credits: Iiris Kivisalu / Visit Estonia