The short summer seasons with long days and brief nights hold special significance for the people of Estonia.
Jaanipäev is celebrated on the night between June 23 and 24, the Western Christian feast of the nativity of Saint John the Baptist, which is a few days after the summer solstice.
In 1578, with some disgust, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on feasting than going to church.
Jaanipäev marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making.
The tradition before the Soviet occupation, which has now been restored, was for a fire to be lit by the Estonian President on the morning of võidupüha (June 23).
During the transition to the re-establishment of Estonia's de facto independence, jaanipäev became an unofficial holiday, with many work places closing down.