Ah, June. Don’t you just love this month, with all its glorious light stretching late into the evenings? What an ideal time of year for after-work gatherings at a cafe or a hurriedly thrown-together barbeque or picnic. It won’t be long before the length of the daylight hours begins its slow but inevitable decrease, but with three months of (fingers crossed) warm summer weather ahead of us, who’s really going to complain?

There are many ways to note the passing of the summer solstice, a date that nearly coincides with celebrations held throughout much of Europe to mark St. John’s day. The saint being honored is none other than St. John the Baptist, and the day upon which he is celebrated falls just after the solstice, on June 24.

When I lived in Denmark, this was one of my favorite holidays. Friends and family gather outside, at private residences or in public venues such as parks or along the seashore. A bonfire is lit, Tuborgs are opened and those assembled are likely to break out in song. Sankt Hans Aften is celebrated rain or shine, throughout the country, with fervor.

In 2002, at this same time of the year, I found myself in Sofia, Bulgaria. While searching for a cable car to Mount Vitosha on the outskirts of town, I was co-opted by a group of seniors, who whisked me away on a rickety bus to an outlying village. From there we hiked through meadows to a tiny church perched on a steep hill in the forest. The interior of the church was lit solely by candlelight, and outside tables were heaped with the makings of a feast. I’d never be able to find my way back there, but that’s OK -- it wasn’t an experience meant to be repeated anyway. I now surmise I had unwittingly attended the Bulgarian version of a St. John’s feast.

If Scandinavia or Bulgaria is too far out of the way, check out the German version of this holiday, Johannisnacht. From June 19 to 22, Mainz will be the happening place to be. The city celebrates with folklore groups, street entertainment and a generally festive atmosphere. Fireworks go off late Monday night from the banks of the Rhine.

If the Garmisch area is more accessible to you, the neighboring towns of Ehrwald, Lermoos und Biberwier light up the mountain slopes on Saturday, June 20 at around 10 p.m. to mark the "Sonnenwende" with Berge in Flammen. Around 8,000 fires are lit to create the outlines of folk and religious symbols. Should the weather fail to cooperate, the event is pushed back by exactly one week. This I have yet to experience, but I’m sure it’s a sight to see.

Do you know of any other special places to be this time of year?