Sankthansaften: The Highlight of Danish Summer

Sankthansaften is one of Denmark’s favorite traditions, and Danes celebrate it every year on June 23. It’s the highlight of the Danish summer – and one of those celebrations that feels both deeply Danish and kind of universal, because it’s marked in many countries across Europe (especially Northern Europe), each in their own way.

Sankthans marks the summer solstice, which actually falls on June 20 or 21. However, June 24 is Sankthans – Saint John’s Day, named after Johannes Døberen, John the Baptist, who was born half a year before Jesus and was the one who baptized him. And like with most celebrations in the Nordic countries, the real party happens the evening before: Sankthansaften – Sankt Hans Eve – on June 23.

The heart of Sankthansaften is the bonfire – sankthansbålet.

Danes light bonfires on beaches and in parks, gardens, and open spaces all across Denmark. You’ll often see a straw witch figure on top of the bonfire – en heks – burned as part of the tradition. People gather around the fire, grill food, and sing together. It’s festive, it’s warm, and it’s very Danish. It’s one of those sights that just feels like summer.

Sankthansaften wasn’t always just a fun summer party. In the past, people believed that the night of Sankt Hans – Sankthansnatten – was a night of powerful natural forces, both good and evil.

On the darker side: witches were said to fly on this night to Bloksbjerg, a mountain in Germany, to celebrate with the devil. Evil was at its most powerful. So people gathered around fires to chase the witches away and protect themselves and their communities. That’s what’s with the witch figure on the bonfire. It’s a symbol of saying goodbye to evil and welcoming a lighter future ahead. 🔥

That said, not everyone uses the witch figure anymore. Some find it controversial, given the painful history of women being accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake.

But the night had a good side too. People believed that healing herbs – lægeurter – collected on Sankthansnatten carried a stronger healing power. And so did the morning dew on the grass. So while some were chasing away witches, others were out in the fields collecting plants by moonlight.

No Sankthansaften is complete without fællessang – singing together around the fire. The song you’ll hear everywhere is Midsommervisen (’The Midsummer Song’) – the popular name for Vi elsker vort land (‘We love our country’), written by the Danish poet Holger Drachmann. That’s what people call it, and that’s what they sing at celebrations all across Denmark. If you’re standing around a bonfire on June 23, you’ll hear it. Guaranteed.

Food is a big part of Sankthansaften – and it’s exactly the kind of food you’d want on a warm summer evening.

Expect pølser (sausages) and bøffer (steaks) on the grill, nye danske kartofler (fresh Danish potatoes – and they really are something special in summer), and snobrød – bread twisted around a long stick and toasted slowly over the fire until it’s golden and slightly crispy on the outside.

And then there are the jordbær – strawberries. Danish summer strawberries are genuinely one of life’s great pleasures, and Sankthansaften is prime strawberry season. They’re usually served with cream, or on a jordbærkage – a strawberry cake that is basically Danish summer in dessert form. 🍓

If you’re celebrating in Denmark – or just want to sound like you know what’s going on – here are the key Danish words for the evening:

Not at all. Denmark isn’t the only Nordic country that marks this time of year with fire and festivities.

Norwegians celebrate Sankthansaften in a very similar way – with bonfires, gatherings, singing, and grilled food. One particularly lovely Norwegian tradition is heading out onto the fjord by boat to watch the bonfires burning along the shore from the water. I can only imagine how that looks. 🔥🚤

Finland celebrates Juhannus in a similar way, and Sweden has its own Midsummer celebration – Midsommar. Sweden’s Midsommar is quite different from the celebrations in Denmark, Norway and Finland. Instead of bonfires being the heart of the night, Swedes gather around a maypole, singing and dancing a very famous frog dance.

Sweden actually has a similar bonfire tradition but it happens earlier in the year, at Valborgsmässoafton at the end of April. And the reason people light fires on that particular evening is the same as on Sankthansaften – people believed witches were especially active that night, flying off to meet the devil on Bloksbjerg (Blåkulla in Swedish). So it’s basically the same belief and the same core tradition but Swedes do it a couple of months earlier.

Bonfires, songs, a straw witch going up in flames, grill and a plate of fresh strawberries – that’s Sankthansaften. It’s one of those celebrations that’s deeply rooted in history and belief, but somehow also just feels like a really good summer evening with people you care about.

God sankthansaften! 🌞

Yani,
your Danish teacher 🇩🇰