Jónsmessa, also known as Midsummer Night, is an Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

ic holiday

Public holidays in Iceland

The following is a table featuring all the public holidays celebrated in Iceland. The table sorts each holiday by its date, though often the dates are moveable. The English name column states the English name of the holiday if any, or a translation of the name...

 celebrated on June 24. It is named after John the Baptist

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...

. According to Icelandic folklore, cows gain the powers of speech, seals become human, and it is healthy to roll naked in the dew-covered grass on Jónsmessa. Icelandic folklore also states that if you sit at a crossroads all night, elves

Huldufólk

Huldufólk are elves in Icelandic folklore. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. According to these Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk...

will attempt to seduce you with food and gifts.

External links

• "My Iceland: Midsummer Night", Iceland Weather Report, JUNE 23, 2008