» Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:01 pm Now we're all happy for you Ellert but why exactly am I reading this?
Well what I want to discuss is the many different ways we might celebrate summer and how you respond to it (apparently not everyone is happy about summer, like a friend of mine who has solar dermatitis). I'll start by briefing you on the first day of summer we celebrate here, it is always celebrated on the first Thursday after the 18th of April, which on the old Nordic Calendar that we used to use before we took up the Julian Calendar, used to be the first day of the first month of summer, Harpa.
In days past it was looked at as a good omen if the temperature went below freezing point the night before the first summer day and was then said that winter and summer froze together, would people then lay bowls with water out the night before to see if it would freeze and was it thought that the cream that formed on top of worked milk would be as thick as the ice that night. Also some say the stubborn winter would mean that hay would be harvested later and that it would be richer and better meaning the animals that ate it would also be fatter and healthier.
These days we usually just celebrate it by giving children small gifts (not wrapped up or anything) that are usually some toy that is meant to be used outside like a frisbee or a ball, and many people grill outside for the first time that summer on that day if weather allows, or even for some people when weather doesn't allow, a little rain or snow doesn't stop everyone.
Now I've already told you what I think of the summer, I love it and wish I could trade out the winter for a 2nd summer, but do you particularly like or dislike summer for some reason and is it celebrated in any specific manner where you are from?
