Thanks for coming everybody!

We put our pictures on Facebook. Hope to see yours soon!

We are almost there!

We can't wait to party with you all! For Brussels, the weather forecast looks reasonable, and we have a great party package to unwrap inside Abbaye de Forest:

We have three dance floors, two professional DJ's, a REAL STAGIAIRE BAND PERFORMING FOR THE FIRST TIME, games and competitions, stories, our national food and drinks, happy helpers, enough toilets, beautiful surroundings both indoors and outdoors - and Midsummer Magic waiting for all our guests!

Preliminary programme
22.00-00.00 buffet and drinks, DJ Jose Vieira on main dancefloor
00.00-01.00 The Who's Gaarden are playing on main dancefloor
01.00 Nordic-Baltic dancefloor opens
01.00 Prize ceremony 'best dressed guest'
01.00-03.00 DJ Patrick Markus on main dancefloor
02.00-03.00 Baltic Party Games on the ground floor
03.00-06.00 DJ Jose Vieira will keep you dancing till the sun comes up

Don't forget that you can submit your music wishes by email to Jose Vieira!

If you are among the first 300 guests you have the opportunity to join the hunt for the blooming fern(1). Maybe you will end up having a drink with your soul mate. Who knows?

In a distant region of Latvia, it is tradition to have a naked race in the middle of the night. It remains to be seen if this practice can be transferred to the capital of Europe!

If you are a Swede, you may want to teach us to dance around the midsummer pole along with singing a few drinking songs. If you are a Dane you may want to give a speech?? Let us know if you are up for it!

***
(1)In accordance with Latvian traditions young couples wander out in the forest looking for the blooming fern. So far, no-one has ever found this blooming fern, but there are many cases of miraculous pregnancies following the hunt for the mysterious flower.

The venue

The Abbaye de Forest is an old abbey in a beautiful park. We immediately fell in love with the place when we visited it, and we think it is a great venue for the Nordic-Baltic a summer celebrations. See for yourself:


See a map of the area on Google maps.
You can also see an online video of the beautiful park.

How to get there
It's really easy to go to the Abbaye de Forest. From Place Lux you get on the bus 54 (Forest Centre) and hop off at Place St. Denis (the picture). From the city centre you can take trams 32, 82 or 97 to place St. Denis.

How to get home
There are night buses going back to the city until approximately 3AM, and the first tram to the city centre starts going at 6AM. Look at the www.STIB.be website to find the exact timing.

The Who's Gaarden will be playing live on Friday. Don't miss it!

The band from left to right:
Giulio Antonio NATALE (COMP) - E-Git
Noé N'SEMI (COMP) - vocals
Tim KRUGER (EAC) - bass
Emmanuelle PASTOR (extern) - vocals
Marcel DICKOW (ENTR) - drums
Karl FREWEIN (COMP) - keyboard

DJ Patrick Markus

[Black Hole Recordings / Expedition Music]
patrickmarkus.com
myspace.com/patrickmarkus

Dutch born Patrick Markus is one of Holland’s freshest new exports in the Dance scene. His DJ sets are characterized by their great variety of pure quality and powerful trance, tech-trance, electro and sometimes even techno. When attending one of his shows you are guaranteed to dance your socks off all night long! Patrick Marcus will be playing for two hours during the party.

With his first release “Silence & Motion” on Real Music Recordings, which was picked up by Paul van Dyk and many other big jocks in 2005, the stage was set for many anthems to come. Just like his DJ sets, his productions are known to have a lot of variety in them.

Under the Name “D Coy” Patrick produces Electro tunes, which are already featured on several CD compilations. The newest production name “Deep ‘n Pure” was just signed to Tiesto’s label Black Hole Recordings and is a huge success so far.

Productions that are released with the Patrick Markus imprint itself, are usually more Trance orientated.

For 2008 Patrick already has many releases lined up, which are ready to rock clubs around the globe, to be sure to keep an eye out at your local Beat dealer!

For more info you can visit http://www.patrickmarkus.com or http://www.myspace.com/patrickmarkus

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Discography:

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Original tracks:

-Patrick Markus - Silence & Motion (Real Music recordings)

-AvL Vs. Patrick Markus - Leaving the Future Behind (Solaris / Lost Language Recordings) As featured on the CD "Rendezvous Vol. 1" Mixed by Mark Eteson.

-Patrick Markus - Liftoff/Ultima. (Selective Recordings)

-Patrick Markus - Square 39/Fragments. (Expedition Music)

-Patrick Markus – Wave Burner/Dream Walker. (Expedition Music)

- D Coy – Exhibit A/I Know/I don’t know. (Definitive Recordings)

- D Coy – I’m a Party Looneytune (Vipnik sounds)

- Deep ‘n Pure Feat. Miss Narda – Set Me Free (Black Hole Recordings)

- Deep ‘n Pure Feat. Miss Narda – Set Me Free (D Coy Club Mix) (Black Hole Recordings)

-Patrick Markus – Massive Impact/Pulsarator (TBA)

-D Coy – Freak Show/Electro 2B (TBA)

Remixes:

-Michael delving - Life (Patrick Markus Remix) (Real Music Recordings)

-David Forbes & Mallorca Lee - 92 Elements (Patrick Markus Remix) (Fenology)

-Matt Abbott Vs. D.S.E. - Far from Home (Patrick Markus Remix) (Alter Ego Recordings)

-Leama & Moor - Waiting (Patrick Markus club mix) (Lost Language)

-Alex - Move It (D Coy Remix) (Monster Tunes)

-Michael Jackson – Billy Jean (Patrick Markus Remix) TBA

-Ankhen – 2nd Devision (Patrick Markus Floor control Mix) (Real Music)

Kalevala – Finnish National Epic

The Kalevala is a book and epic poem which the Finn Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian folklore in 1835. This poetic song tradition, sung in an unusual, archaic trochaic tetrametre, had been part of the oral tradition among speakers of Balto-Finnic languages for two thousand years.

Lyric songs express human, personal emotions. Ritual poems focus especially on weddings and bear-killing feasts. Kalevala metre incantations are verbal magic, which was part of people's everyday lives and activities.

The archaic song tradition was a vital, living tradition throughout Finland until the 1500s. Following the Reformation, the Lutheran Church forbade the singing of the songs, declaring the entire tradition to be pagan.

Väinämöinen is the central character in the Finnish folklore and the main character in Kalevala. Originally a Finnish god, he was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, magical voice.

In one of the stories Joukahainen challenges Väinämöinen to a contest of wisdom and is defeated. With his singing, Väinämöinen causes Joukahainen to sink into a swamp. In order to save himself, Joukahainen promises his sister's hand in marriage to Väinämöinen. Upon learning of the bargain, the sister Aino mourns her fate and finally drowns herself.

Väinämöinen searches the sea for Aino and catches her (she has been transformed into a fish) on his fishing hook. However, he loses her again and sets out to woo the maiden of Pohjola, the daughter of the North Farm. Meanwhile, eager for revenge, Joukahainen watches out for Väinämöinen on the way to Pohjola and shoots Väinämöinen's horse from underneath him as he rides across a river. Väinämöinen falls into the water and floats out to sea. There an eagle rescues him and carries him to Pohjola's shores. The mistress of Pohjola, Louhi, tends Väinämöinen until he recovers. In order to be able to return home, Väinämöinen promises that Ilmarinen the smith will forge a Sampo – a magical artifact - for Pohjola. The maiden of Pohjola, Louhi's daughter, is promised to the smith in return for the Sampo.

"Ilmarinen, worthy brother,
Thou the only skilful blacksmith,
Go and see her wondrous beauty,
See her gold and silver garments,
See her robed in finest raiment,
See her sitting on the rainbow,
Walking on the clouds of purple.
Forge for her the magic Sampo,
Forge the lid in many colors,
Thy reward shall be the virgin,
Thou shalt win this bride of beauty;
Go and bring the lovely maiden
To thy home in Kalevala."[1]

Ilmarinen works for several days at a mighty forge until finally the Sampo is created:

On one side the flour is grinding,
On another salt is making,
On a third is money forging,
And the lid is many-colored.
Well the Sampo grinds when finished,
To and fro the lid in rocking,
Grinds one measure at the day-break,
Grinds a measure fit for eating,
Grinds a second for the market,
Grinds a third one for the store-house.

(Virtual Finland, Wikipedia)

MIDSUMMER IN DENMARK

The Danish midsummer celebrations are a mix of different traditions that have been blended into a distinct Danish cocktail. On Midsummer's Eve, which is always on the 23rd of June, we celebrate Skt. Hans, Saint John the Baptist. The event itself though is not very Christian. The Midsummer celebrations are, as you might now know, an ancient practice dating back to pre-Christian times, where the long days and nights were the centre of attention and worship.

Usually you will invite friends over for a barbecue and around 9pm you go to the bonfire. First there should be a speech. Local, national, and even MEP's take time off to give speeches to the participants of the midsummer bonfires. They talk about the state of the country, about democracy, or about how we live together. Even though the constitution day is on the 5th of June, the eve of Skt. Hans is probably the day of the year where we feel the most patriotic.

After the speech we burn the witch. Big bonfires are part of the Nordic and Baltic practices, but in Denmark we have added the German tradition of burning a witch on the bonfire. She is made out of wood, paper and old clothes, and sometimes she is also stuffed with the fireworks called Heksehyl (Witch's Cry) that make a very distinct sound. She is said to fly off to the mountain of Bloksbjerg in Germany
to meet with the other witches.

On top of that we celebrate our little country by singing the patriotic song of Skt. Hans about how everything is blooming in Denmark and how we want to protect the country from witches and trolls and all other evils of the world that want to disturb the peace. Usually if you live by the water, you go to the nearest beach for the bonfire. On clear nights you can see all the fires along the coast for miles, which is very beautiful.

Even though The Danes have stolen many traditions from other countries and have moved the celebrations from the longest day (June 21st) to June 23rd in honor of Christianity, we still feel that it is a distinct Danish tradition, especially when we sing the Midsummer Song written by the poet Holger Drachmann.

You can find the tune here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=KKjuBJj2_m0

Vi elsker vort land,
når den signede jul
tænder stjernen i træet med glans i hvert øje,
når om våren hver fugl
over mark, under strand
lader stemmen til hilsende triller sig bøje,
vi synger din lov over vej, over gade,
vi kranser dit navn, når vor høst er i lade,
men den skønneste krans
bli'r dog din sankte Hans,
den er bunden af sommerens hjerter så varme, så glade,
men den skønneste krans
bli'r dog din sankte Hans,
den er bunden af sommerens hjerter så varme, så glade.

Vi elsker vort land,
men ved midsommer mest,
når hver sky over marken velsignelsen sender,
når af blomster er flest,
og når kvæget i spand,
giver rigeligst gave til flittige hænder,
når ikke vi pløjer og harver og tromler,
når koen sin middag i kløveren gumler,
da går ungdom til dans
på dit bud sankte Hans
ret som føllet og lammet der frit over engen sig tumler,
da går ungdom til dans
på dit bud sankte Hans
ret som føllet og lammet der frit over engen sig tumler.

Vi elsker vort land
og med sværdet i hånd
skal hver udenvælts fjende beredte os kende,
men mod ufredens ånd
over mark, under strand
vil vi bålet på fædrenes gravhunde tænde,
hver by har sin heks, og hvert sogn sine trolde,
dem vil vi fra livet med glædesblus holde,
vi vil fred her til lands,
sankte Hans, sankte Hans,
den kan vindes, hvor hjerterne aldrig bli'r tvivlende kolde,
vi vil fred her til lands,
sankte Hans, sankte Hans,
den kan vindes, hvor hjerterne aldrig bli'r tvivlende kolde.

MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION IN LATVIA

In Latvia, Midsummer is called Jāņi (Jānis being Latvian for John) or Līgo Svētki (word "svētki" stands for English word "festival", word "līgo" stands for a widespread Latvian girls/women name "Līga", which is celebrated on 23 June). In other words Latvian midsummer festival can be called St. John's Eve.

John's Eve in Latvia is held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice, the shortest night and longest day of the year. It is a national holiday celebrated on a large scale by almost everyone in Latvia and by people of Latvian origin abroad. Usually Latvian people celebrate John's Eve in the countryside.From the perspective of deities, Latvians regard Jānis (John) as a son of God, the fertility god of the summer solstice.

Originally John's Eve was a pagan custom but after Christianization it became associated with Saint John the Baptist's feast day, which falls on June 24. For that reason, John's Eve begins in the evening of 23 June and all through the night, where people sway into the following day, not on 21 June/22 June when the summer solstice actually takes place.

From the mythical point of view, John`s Eve is thought to be the time when the forces of nature are at their most powerful, and the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds are thinnest. In the past, evil witches were believed to be riding around, so people decorated their houses and lands with rowan branches and thorns in order to protect themselves from evil. In modern days other traditional decorations are more popular, including birch or sometimes oak branches and flowers as well as leaves, especially ferns.

People wear wreaths made from flowers for females, or oak leaves for males; in rural areas livestock also is decorated.John`s Eve also is thought to be the perfect time to gather herbs, because it is believed that they then have magical powers. Other practices of magic in John`s Eve vary from fortune-telling to ensuring productivity of crops, as well as livestock fertility.
Traditions of the John`s Eve celebration in Latvia.

A well-known part of this celebration is searching for the mythical fern flower, though some suggest that the fern flower is a symbol of secret knowledge; today it is almost always synonymous with having sexual relationships. Despite common belief, no remarkable increase in birthrates is observed nine months later.

Fire and bonfires throughout the land.
During a festival fire must be kept from sunset till sunrise, and various kinds of flaming light sources are used; usually these are bonfires, which traditionally people jump over to ensure prosperity and fertility. So say as a joke, that if you (man/woman) jump the fire on John's Eve, you're going to have good luck with the women/men all year long".

Traditional food during John's Eve is a special type of cheese with caraway seeds, made out of curd, and the traditional drink is beer. Many people make the cheese of Jāņi themselves; a few also make their own beer. Representatives of Latvian Emergency services often warn that Jāņi can be harmful to health because of the amounts of food and alcoholic beverages consumed, as well as maltreated fires.Wreaths/crowns made of flowers, herbs, oak leaves.

A lot of other traditions are practiced during the celebration of the John's Eve in Latvia, like singing special songs about John and Līgo, dancing whole night long, staying awake till the sunrise in the morning, washing face in the grass's morning dew, which on John's morning is said to have particularly beneficial properties. In the Latvia`s western town of Kuldīga, revellers mark the holiday by running naked through the town at three in the morning of John's Eve. The event has taken place for the past seven years and it has become a tradition.

The John's Eve is considered to be as important as Christmas in Latvia. Once You have an opportunity to celebrate it together with Latvians and to see all the traditions of the John's Eve celebration, You will never forget it.

Nordic mythology

The creation
According to the myths, before the world was created there existed only Muspelheim, the world of fire, and Niflheim, the world of ice. The warm air melted the ice and out of the water grew the giant Ymir and the cow, Audhumbla. Ymir woke and drank Audhumbla's milk. Whilst he drank, the cow Audhumbla licked on a salt stone. On the first day after this a man's hair appeared on the stone, on the second day a head and on the third day an entire man emerged from the stone. His name was Búri and with an unknown giantess he fathered Bor, the father of the three gods Odin, Vili and Ve. These three gods created the universe from Ymir’s body.

One day when the gods were walking the earth they found two tree trunks. They transformed them into the shape of humans. Odin gave them life, Vili gave them mind and Ve gave them the ability to hear, see, and speak. The gods named them Ask and Embla and built the kingdom of Middle-earth for them and to keep the giants out the gods placed a gigantic fence made of Ymir’s eye-lashes around Middle-earth.

The universe
The many worlds of the universe are connected through the giant Tree of Life, the Ash tree Yggdrasil.

The gods, the Æsir, live in Asgaard, the home of the gods at the top of the tree. Odin is the king of the Æsir and he lives in the house of Valhalla, where the dead warriors feast in the afterlife. The humans live in Middle-earth at the middle of the tree. Middle-earth and Asgaard are connected with the rainbow bridge Bifrost. At the foot of the tree, the three Norns (goddesses of fate) spin the threads of each individual life.

In the underworld Hel a snake is chewing one root of Yggdrasil. The Jötnar (giants) live in Jotunheim, which lies at the end of the second root of Yggdrasil. The third root goes all the way to icy Nifleheim. The gods and the humans are always threatened by the evil and cunning Jötnar – a conflict that will ultimately end in the destruction of the world, Ragnarok. The fire giants of Muspelheim awaits this day, as they are foreseen to break the Bifrost during the battle.

Order vs. chaos
The dualism that exists is not good vs. evil, but order vs. chaos. The Æsir and their allies represent the natural forces of cosmic order, whereas the Jötnar represent the natural forces of destructive chaos. The celebrations of the natural order of the change of the four seasons fall within the realm of the gods and the humans and are also reflected in the deep connection to nature, that we find everywhere in the myths.

The summer solstice celebrations can thus be seen as stemming partly from these ancient beliefs.

Sources: Wikipedia da/en