Bonfires Maypoles and a saint’s day: How Europe celebrates the longest day of the year

People wear traditional clothes as they celebrate St. John’s Day and the Summer Solstice in Kernave, Lithuania, on 2024 Jun 23. AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis – By Thomas A. DuBois, Professor of Scandinavian Studies, Folklore, and Religious Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison Published: 2026 Jun 17 …