Monday, June 23, 2008

St Hans

Hello dear friends!


tonight is the night here in Norway and Denmark where we celebrate St. Hans (named after the Johannes the Baptist). This is two customs put together a far as I know.
 The celebration of the new life , the spring, which had arrived and where the fire was meant to 'clear' the sky , the air from the cold winter ,force the bad, the dangerous and fearsome away. Burn the winter away, and celebrate the summer light. Then there is the celebration of Johannes the Baptist's birthday which is said to be on June 24. Because  we have a tradition here of celebrating seasonal days the night before, (as we do at Christmas in the evening of December 24th. ) the celebration is on the 23th. This is the perfect day to have a wonderful time together in the beautiful Nordic summer night. So the bun fires are to be seen all over the country and along the long coast line tonight.  
Have a great St Hans!
;-)

Sissel

ps. Some have asked me what the music in the background on my page is. It is a special version of the song 'Hallowed Mountains' , from 'Northern Lights' album.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Grattis pa födelsedagen!

Hej Sissel,
jag öskar Dig "Glad St. Hans" - det är ju samtidigt Din födelsedag! Jag hoppas att Du har tid att fira gemensamt med Din familj och Dina vänner. Tack sa mycket för alla underbara fotografier av Ditt hemland Norge. Vi ska semestra 3 veckor i Vestlandet i sommar. I början av resan ska min fru jag besöka Din konsert i Alvdal den 19. Juli - och det är precis min födelsedag (verkligen!).

Hjärtliga hälsningar

Axel, Tyskland

Stenar said...

Happy Birthday, Sissel! I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow and a very nice St. Hans tonight.

Klem ifra dine venner i Salt Lake City,
Rob & Shawn
:)

Unknown said...

I heard your birthday is today! I wish you a very happy birthday! From your long lost friend in Salt Lake City, Utah; Janel Floyd

Anonymous said...

Hi Sissel,
Happy St. Hans.Hope you have/had a wonderful and peacefull time with family and friends.Wish Icould have been there to be part of it.I
shall watch Northern Lights on D.V.D,and be their in spirit.Love the photo of you beside stage with lake in backround,Ihave it as backround on my computer screen.Stay welland be happy.Best
wishes..Liam Wilson,Dublin.

Unknown said...

GOD St.Hans, og takk for sist!
Gler meg til å sjå deg igjen om ikkje alt for lenge!

Arne Olav

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Sissel!

I'm sending you best wishes for a birthday as beautiful as a warm sunny day in the mountains of Norway; as happy as the song of those birds that nest in your backyard; and as delightful as the "snowdrops" (or is it "snowbells"?) that bloom in your garden in the early spring.

There is a saying which goes something like this: "It's the friends that we meet along life's path who help us appreciate the journey." In that same manner, playing music and enjoying Sissel's singing has become a part of the evening routine here at home. I hope that someday there will be an opportunity to hear Sissel sing in person!

Enjoy your birthday!

-Jeanne-

erasmusthewise said...

Hi Sissel
Let me wish you a happy birthday!
I hope you have a delightful day.
Best wishes from England
Kevin

Anonymous said...

St Sissel måste ju firas den 24 juni. Hjärtliga Gratulationer på födelsedagen och lycka till med allt i livet. Jag ser särskilt fram emot konserten på Tronsvangen Seterhotell där Jag ska njuta ett par fina dagar. GRATTIS önskar Martin , Örebro Sverige

Anonymous said...

Hi Sissel!
I wish you a late happy bday! ! !Hope you had a cosy day with friends, family. And celebrated Skt. Hans yesterday with bonfire and so on.
Hmm... I just realized why the wheather was so nice and sunny today, I wondered why! Thank you so much for that - we needed it ;-)

I read about your concerts - exciting with your summer, fall tour. Looking forward to see you on stage again ;-) hope you'll bring some new songs.
Btw, thanx for posting to your blog (so often). It's always nice to hear what you have been up to.
Well, take care and have the best summer.
Hope to see u again - but next time without "tømmermænd" som sidst ;-) (altså mig, selvom du nok ik' lagde mærke til det)
- Mia

Anonymous said...

Sissel, here in Brazil we commemorated also the day of S. João (St. Hans). Our folklore is very rich in this time, where she make to commemorate with typical dances, eaten and a lot of music. But it is for the first time that I see that we are to 6 months of Christmas, the largest dates from the year! I want great "ST. Hans " for you and her family! Happinesses! Walter (Brazil)
P.s.: Again, a happy one has a birthday for you Sissel!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sissel,
Wishing you another wonderful year of happiness and joy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Akira/Brazil

Anonymous said...

Bun fires sound painful. Maybe they're having bonfires instead.

Nadia said...

Well I can add to that, in Denmark for hundreds years ago, actully burned womens on bonfire, this date each year. They would pick a woman, whom they saw as a witch.

Now, these days, we just make a tree-doll and whish it to "Bloksbjerg". Along with it we sing and have policals speaches. To mark the midsummer.

I perfer to send the man, on the bonfire and wish him to "bloksbjerg" - anything else is dicrimnation of womens :-p

Ivo said...

sissel, happy 39th birthday! I would have congratulated on your actual birthday, but my internet was down (bad router) :-(( it's all fixed now.

wish you luck with all your concerts up in Scandinavia! keep it up!

ivo

Anonymous said...

Sissel, Hope you had a wonderful Birthday, time spent with family and loved ones...hope all your summer concerts will be good ones..
I will be comming to Copenhagen and Bergan in feb.09 to see you wonder home ,and the Northern Lights..i hope that will be A good time of year to see them.. God Bless you ..Mary