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FAHC to host Juhannus commemoration June 24

June 17, 2021

HANCOCK, Mich. — Keeping with a tradition that began nearly a decade ago, the Finnish American Heritage Center will host an intimate ceremony to commemorate Juhannus (Midsummer) at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 24.

The event will be highlighted by the dedication of the Midsummer pole, which has stood adjacent to the FAHC annually each summer since it was first erected in 2014. Earlier in the day, members of the City of Hancock’s Finnish Theme Committee will gather to decorate the pole, using birch – which is the national tree of Finland and is prominent in Finnish folklore and traditions. The public is encouraged to help with the decorating. In the early afternoon, prior to the ceremony, the pole will be raised and secured into its position, where it will stand as a tribute to the Copper Country’s Finnish-American and Finnish heritage for the duration of the summer.

Hosted by the staff of the Finnish American Heritage Center, the Juhannus ceremony is scheduled for a Thursday afternoon to coincide with the weekly Tori market, hosted by the City of Hancock on Finlandia University’s Quincy Green. The tori, which was launched about four decades ago and has been an annual fixture in the Copper Country at various sites through the years, is steeped in Finnish heritage as well, originally modeled after the famed Kauppatori in Helsinki. 

For more information about this year’s Juhannus ceremony, call the Finnish American Heritage Center at (906) 487-7549.

Juhannus decoration

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