By E. Florence Mason
'Midsummer Day' is the 24th June; this is also
the day upon which the birth of St. John the Baptist is
celebrated by the Christian Church. During the Middle Ages
it was a joyous time of feast and merry-making. Nearly all the
ceremonies connected with this holiday were performed the night
previous—variously called 'Midsummer's Eve', or 'St. John's Eve'.
Flowers and fire were two things that became of great importance
on Midsummer's Eve. Nearly every town and village had its bonfire
lit and it was also customary to fling flowers and garlands into the
fires, while the people, young and old, circled round the blaze
with merry antics and gleeful songs. Midsummer's Eve was
regarded as a time when the strangest things might
easily happen. That is probably the reason why
Shakspere called his play 'A Midsummer
Day's Dream', and make Puck and the
other fairies play such pranks with
the mortals that they found
wandering out-of-doors
link
'Midsummer Day' is the 24th June; this is also
the day upon which the birth of St. John the Baptist is
celebrated by the Christian Church. During the Middle Ages
it was a joyous time of feast and merry-making. Nearly all the
ceremonies connected with this holiday were performed the night
previous—variously called 'Midsummer's Eve', or 'St. John's Eve'.
Flowers and fire were two things that became of great importance
on Midsummer's Eve. Nearly every town and village had its bonfire
lit and it was also customary to fling flowers and garlands into the
fires, while the people, young and old, circled round the blaze
with merry antics and gleeful songs. Midsummer's Eve was
regarded as a time when the strangest things might
easily happen. That is probably the reason why
Shakspere called his play 'A Midsummer
Day's Dream', and make Puck and the
other fairies play such pranks with
the mortals that they found
wandering out-of-doors
link
'A Midsummer night's Dream'
by William H. Barribal (1873-1956)
link
'A Midsummer Night'
by Margaret Tarrant
link
'Going to the Midsummer Ball'
link
Scene from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
by Francis Danby (1793-1861), ca. 1832
link
by William H. Barribal (1873-1956)
link
'A Midsummer Night'
by Margaret Tarrant
'Going to the Midsummer Ball'
From :'The Fairy Nightcaps', 1861
by Frances Elizabeth Barrow
linkby Frances Elizabeth Barrow
Joseph Noel Paton (1821-1901):
'A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Fact And Fancy'link
Scene from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
by Francis Danby (1793-1861), ca. 1832
link
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