Miðsumarblót (Midsummer Blót) – The Norse Summer Solstice Festival

Pronunciation: MITH-soo-mar-blote

Meaning: A blót (sacrifice/ritual) to honor the gods, ancestors, and spirits at the height of the sun’s power.

Date: Around June 21st, the longest day of the year.

How the Norse Celebrated Miðsumarblót

• Blóts & Offerings → Sacrifices of food, drink, and animals to gods like Baldr (light & purity), Freyr (fertility & prosperity), and Sunna/Sól (the sun goddess).

• Feasting & Mead-Drinking → Great feasts were held, often near sacred groves, rivers, or standing stones.

• Bonfires & Dancing → Fires were lit to ward off evil spirits and honor the sun’s strength.

• Marriage & Fertility Rites → Midsummer was seen as a blessed time for unions, as it was connected to growth and abundance.

• Water & Wells → Some traditions held that sacred wells and springs were extra powerful during Midsummer. People might leave offerings in the water for luck.