Do you know what time it was when this picture was taken?
Make a guess.
Midsummer is the longest day of the year, also known as the summer solstice. Astronomically, the summer solstice falls on 24 June. In Finland, Juhannus is a national holiday that is celebrated on the Saturday that falls between 20 and 26 June.
On Friday (19 June), shops will open at 8 am and close at 1 pm, and remain close on Saturday. Long queues at the supermarket can be expected on Thursday evening and Friday morning. I have already prepared my battle plan to conquer the supermarkets Thursday.
Finns celebrate Juhannus by lighting bonfires. Seurasaari, an island in Helsinki, is the annual site for bonfires, dances and traditional costumes. We hope to catch a Juhannus celebration this year, whether at Seurasaari or elsewhere.
During summer in the upper northern latitudes, like in Helsinki, the sun sets at around 10 pm and is up 3 am. Some people have trouble sleeping and their body clocks go topsy-turvy. I've read suggestions like installing thick dark-coloured curtains and sticking those black garbage bags to windows to block out the sun.
The Toh family just sleeps. ZZZ... zzz... ZZZ... zzz...
The kids go to bed at around 9 pm and wake up at 8 am the next day. If the little ones cooperate on weekends, which they usually do nowadays, we all get up at 9.30 am. A real treat for parents with young kids! Estelle looks forward to weekends because "I can sleep for as long as I want".
So, have you guessed what time it is?
12.30 am. Serious.
This is the midnight sun. Further up north, the phenomenon is more obvious where day light is turned on even at midnight.
I'll be taking more picture over the next few days. Stay tuned.
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