New York – Jun 20 2008
RSVP closing after 4 pm, your emails will likely not be read. You are welcome to attend but you must pay $5 more at the door
ENTERTAINMENT by Flying Kilim Entertainment – our 3 European Djs will play all night long
OPEN BAR all night
COST: $45 cash only at the door with online RSVP, NO RSVP = $50 at the door so do RSVP and make sure your guests are on the list as well.
Attire: Summer chic and trendy
YOUR NORDIC AND BALTIC HOSTS WILL INCLUDE i.e:
Kristi Roosmaa, Estonia, Singer/Dancer
Maryly Crowder, Finland, Burberry
Marianne Halvorsen, Norway, Willis
Kasper Krogh, Denmark, Hellobrand, TBA
SAAGA VODKA FROM ESTONIA
http://www.saagavodka.com
Saaga 1763 Vodka is 40% abv. / 80 proof and created by Master Distiller Arno Narro who recreates the original style of vodka distilled in ancient Estonian manors for hundreds of years. The vodka is made from 90% heirloom Estonian Rye and 10% Tristo summer wheat, which are harvested at the optimum time, carefully sorted , and dried with care. Rye is the Estonian national grain and they have been cultivating it since the 1100′s
GURU ENERGY DRINKS – href=”http://www.guruenergy.com/ “>www.guruenergy.com/
All natural energy drinks – and they are YUMMY so make sure you have a taste!
Problems?? email to Kaisa at newyork (at) eurocircle.com
BECOME A MEMBER HERE, it’s FREE!
This is a private party so NO DINNER MENU is available.
On the Friday closest to the actual summer solstice, Swedes, Finns and Most of the other Nordic & Baltic countries celebrate Midsummer’s Eve, taking time to rejoice in the light of the sun and the arrival of summer with traditional midsummer festivities throughout the weekend. This major holiday is usually celebrated in the heart of nature, as everyone heads out to the countryside to enjoy food, drink, games, dancing and general revelry.
The annual Swedish Midsummer Celebration will once again take place in Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park in Battery Park City on the southwestern tip of Manhattan on June 20, 2008. This year’s celebration will feature Allsång in Battery Park (sing-along). Families and children of all ages are welcome to help decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games, and dance to the authentic fiddle music of Paul Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The ring dancing will be led by Jeanne Eriksson Widman. Food stands will offer traditional delicacies from New York’s finest Swedish restaurants.
Swedish Midsummer Celebration
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
Battery Park City
New York, NY
Friday, June 20, 2008
5–8 pm
The Swedish Midsummer Festival is presented by Battery Park City Parks Conservancy and co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Sweden in New York and the following contributors:
Ambassador and Mrs. Lyndon L. Olson Jr.
Electrolux
Handelsbanken
H&M
Investor AB
SEB
SKANSKA
SwedBank
NOTE: The Consulate General of Sweden in New York does NOT organize or sponsor any midsummer event other than the celebration in Battery Park City.
Midsummer is celebrated each year between the 20th and 26th of June, at the lightest point of the year. It is the biggest summer celebration in Finland, and signals the start of “the real summer”. It is a celebration of light, summer and a “night less” night. The name “Juhannus”, as the Midsummer is called in Finnish, originates from John the Baptist (“Johannes” in Finnish), who’s commemoration-, and birthday is celebrated in Midsummer. Midsummer is also a Finnish Flag Day. The Flags are raised at 18.00 on Midsummer Eve and lowered at 21.00 on Midsummer evening.
The history of Midsummer celebrations date back to pagan times. In East-Finland, it was called “the celebration of Ukko” (Ukko was the Finnish god of thunder, the most important of the Finnish gods, because he created rain, the essential ingredient for a good harvest). According to an old belief, the short night of Midsummer tempted witches, fairies and elves to tease people or to show them their future happiness. This is why Midsummer has been linked to magic and many believes. Even today it is popular among young girls to pick flowers on midsummer night and to place them under their pillows in the hope that their future husbands will be revealed to them in their dreams.
Many Midsummer traditions from the past are still followed today, one of them the building of the “kokko”, a huge bonfire by the water. All over Finland, close to midnight on Midsummer Eve, the bonfires are ceremoniously lit. In Finland bonfires were first made in the eastern parts of the country and from there the tradition quickly spread all over Finland. In the past whole villages would gather together around the bonfire, and strict rules were followed as to how and when the fire was lit. It was usually the oldest man in the village, who received the great honour of lighting the fire.
In Ahvenanmaa and in Swedish-Finnish coastal areas, the bonfires are replaced with Midsummer poles. The origin and the meaning of this tradition is not exactly known, but there are some theories. According to one of them, the pole could have been a representation of Scandinavian fertility rites dating back to pagan times. Another theory is, that it was introduced to Scandinavia by Hanseatics in medieval times.
An old tradition in Midsummer is to decorate houses and doorways with young birch trees and flowers. Midsummer decorations represent the beginning of summer. In the past, herdsmen in the countryside, decorated cattle with flowers to ensure a rich milk production. Traditional Midsummer foods were dairy products, because after a long winter indoors, cows once again started to produce more milk, after they were again able to graze the rich green summer fields. Nowadays dairy products are often replaced with grilled sausages and new potatoes.
During the Midsummer, many open-air dance festivals are arranged and most of the cities have big bonfires for people to gather around and see, however many Finns prefer to celebrate this special occasion in the countryside, at their summer houses together with friends and relatives. Saunas are warmed up, fresh birch whisks are prepared, traditional Finnish songs are heard playing on the radio, sausages are grilled and drinks aplenty are enjoyed. This is the time to relax and enjoy the magical “Night less Night” and welcome the summer.
Unfortunately the Midsummer in Finland also has a sad side. Every year statistics indicate that many people drown during this particular period, as many “Juhannus” celebrations are held close to water. Under the influence of alcohol common sense is forgotten resulting in unnecessary accidents.
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New York – Jun 20
Friday, June 20, 2008 in New York at 9:00 pm – 3:00 am
Location:
