Harvest Fest v. Halloween v. Fastelavn

The Danes celebrate summer with the famous Midsommer celebration and the Sankt Hans bonfire, customarily enjoyed at the beach. Today, in Portland, these celebrations are held at Nordic Northwest where Scandinavians come together to remember age-old traditions and pass the magical experiences they’ve enjoyed on to their children.

With summer being the height of nature and having plants popping up all over the countryside, there is a folk tradition of associating midsommer with powerful magic. And, with Sankt Hans at Midsommer, magic is always in the air.

During the festivities, families burn paper witches on Sankt Hans to keep evil spirits away, which might remind us a bit of Halloween here in the States.

However, although Halloween has hints of both Midsommer and Sankt Hans, it is a little more like the spring celebration of Fastelavn, where children beat a barrel – much like a piñata, to keep evil spirits away. They are rewarded with candies that fall from the broken barrel—after some effort.

This year, the Northwest Danish Association will be celebrating the end of summer and the power of nature with a Harvest Festival at Nordic Northwest on Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Children should come dressed up as anything they’d like to be and be prepared for fun, games, and prizes. There will be time to decorate pumpkins, fish for fun prizes, and even throw candy in a cornhole. And every child will walk away with a prize. But best of all, they will have life-long memories that one day they will be able to pass on to their own children, which will keep the spirit of Scandinavia and the dreams of young Danes everywhere alive.