Hot Mindsummer Festival in Finland火热的芬兰仲夏节

江苏省连云港市赣榆区教育局教研室 顾光才 供稿

The Midsummer Festival is the greatest summer holiday in Finland. The Finns celebrate it from the heart， let themselves relax and welcome the summer. Cities have official celebrations， but most Finns gather with families and friends at their summer cottages1 for a sauna2， banquet3 and the midnight bonfire4.

仲夏节是芬兰最大的暑期节日。这一天，芬兰人热烈庆祝，放松身心，欢迎夏日的到来。虽然城市里都有官方的庆祝方式，但是大多数的芬兰人会在消夏小屋舍里同家人和朋友们一起庆祝：蒸桑拿，举行宴会，午夜点燃篝火。

Midsummer Bonfire 仲夏篝火

Burning bonfires to celebrate a great feast is an old tradition. It has been practiced in many countries. Formerly large bonfires were built on hills and lakeshores in every village of eastern Finland. Everyone in the village gathered to watch the bonfire burn and dance， sing and play games together.

点燃篝火来庆祝重大节日是一个悠久的传统。很多国家都有这样的习俗。以前，在芬兰东部每个村庄的山冈和湖岸都会燃起大堆的篝火。村庄里面的每个人都会来观看篝火，并聚在一起唱歌、跳舞、做游戏。

Midsummer Pole 仲夏柱

Like the maypoles raised in the continental Europe and Britain， the pole is decorated with green leaves and flowers before raising. During the evening， traditional folk music is played with people dancing and playing around the pole. Some people may wear national costumes to highlight5 the celebration. In some parts of western Finland， it was a tradition to raise a tall and narrow spruce6 tree instead of a decorated midsummer pole.

像欧洲大陆和英国竖起的五月花柱一样，仲夏柱在竖起之前，要用绿叶和鲜花来装饰。整个晚上，伴随着传统的民乐人们绕着仲夏柱载歌载舞。有些人会穿着民族服饰来突出庆祝活动。芬兰西部一些地区的传统是：人们会竖起一棵又高又细的云杉树，而不是一个装饰过的仲夏柱。

Midsummer Decorations 仲夏装饰

An old tradition is to decorate the house and yard with young leafy trees like birch7 or aspen8. The cut trees were placed standing at either side of doorways， gates or doorsteps， and windows were bordered with leafy branches. In some parts of Finland， it was a custom for young men to build arbors9 on farm yards， using leafy branches of birch. Even cows were decorated with green leaves or lilies of the valley10 to ensure they would be milking properly.

一个很古老的传统是用新生的多叶树木，如桦树和白杨，来装饰房子和庭院。砍下的树木被放在出入口、大门或者门前台阶的两旁，而且窗户也用枝叶镶边。在芬兰的一些地区有这样一个传统：年轻人在农家庭院里用多叶的桦树枝搭建凉亭。甚至自家的牛也会用树叶和铃兰来装饰一番，确保顺利挤奶。

Midsummer Night Magic 仲夏夜魔法

Midsummer is the turning point at which the days begin to shorten again， and darkness will slowly start increasing. In the old times， this raised fear and uncertainly about the future. Strange things were known to happen on midsummer night， when evil spirits and witches were thought to be roaming11 around. By performing magical rites people believed they could ensure to have a better future and a good fortune for the household， a large harvest and protect the cattle from illnesses. Many of these rites were connected with fortune， happiness， love， marriage or predicting12 of the future.

仲夏节是一个转折点，从此白天开始变短，夜晚慢慢开始变长。在古代，这个的日子会使人们产生很多恐惧和对将来的不确定。人们相信仲夏之夜来临时，很多奇怪的事情会发生，恶魔和巫婆会到处漫游。通过表演魔法的仪式，人们相信他们能够拥有一个更好的未来，全家人都会好运，庄稼会大丰收，牲畜会远离疾病。许多的仪式与运气、幸福、爱情、婚姻或者预测将来有关。