Summer arrived at Ontario Finnish Resthome Associate (OFRA) on June 24th. The annual Juhannus celebration around the pond had the seniors and friends taking part in the festivities outdoors. The courtyard was nicely decorated in blue and white. Blue and white reusable puff flowers were strung along the railings, Small Finnish flags flapping in the wind taped onto posts and paper Finnish flags taped to windows of Mauno Kaihla Koti (MKK) and Kotitalo. The park benches, patio chairs and the wooden swing filled with residents and guests enjoying the festivities under the shade while the sun shone on a beautiful summer’s day. The MKK residents gathered onto their own patio where they were able to listen to the music and watch the parade of Finnish National dresses.
The festivities started with the parade of Finnish National dresses. The models strolled in line around the courtyard and then assembled in a semi-circle as Heidi Slotegraaf; Manager of Recreational Therapy introduced each dress and what region each one was from. There were many of the same dress from Härmä. My assumption was many Härmälänens’ immigrated from Finland to Sault Ste. Marie area years ago. The OFRA community has quite a collection of varied dresses, from Sami, Rovaniemi, Karjalan emänen (Karjala matron) dress, Ulkosuomalaisten dress (Finns living abroad) and more. It would be nice to be able to obtain a national dress from Estonia, as Estonians joined the Finnish community from the inception of OFRA and continue to be part of the organization.
After the introduction of the dresses, the models danced a waltz with the accompaniment of Phil Braido on the accordion. Phil continued to play throughout the afternoon to the enjoyment of all. It was great to see a younger generation dancing with a resident.
The anticipation grew for the crowning of Juhannus Queens from each building. They are bestowed with a crown of flowers and given a bouquet of flowers.
Residents and guests enjoyed the BBQ of hamburgers, sausages and hotdogs provided by M&M Food Market. A Juhannus kokko was lit on the pond. Juhannus kokko in the past was to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Nowadays in Finland the longest day is celebrated with music, dancing, sauna and swimming with a kokko burning nearby. The crackling of burning wood, flames dancing skyward, lively accordion music, and cheerful conversation all came together to create a joyful Juhannus—summer solstice celebration.
We thank the Program Support Services team, all the staff and volunteers that helped put on a successful Juhannus party for all to enjoy.
