Midsummer Eve, Paaoe Beach, Langeland, Denmark, 20 June 2015

The Danish celebration of Midsummer Eve started as the heathen celebration of midsummer with the many old traditions. Later on it became a celebration of the sacred saint John, in Danish called Hans and thus the Danish word for Midsummer Eve - Sankt Hans or Sct. Hans. Therefore the celebration always is on the evening of 23 June which is the day before sct. John's day on 24 June. Today Midsummer Eve in Denmark is typically celebrated with a Midsummer Eve bonfire with the burning of a figure as a witch, a speech and the singing of the song “Midsommervisen” - a Danish song written by the Danish poet Holger Drachmann.