Weather is always a good subject to talk about. Safe, neutral, everyone can say something. Small talk savior if you get stuck, right? Well, in my view it is twice a year a serious business. First and foremost: “will there be snow on Xmas?” and secondly “what is the weather going to be like on Midsummer?”
Since Midsummer is tomorrow, I am going to concentrate on the second one. For weeks now the tabloids have had headlines predicting Midsummer weather: “Check the weather at your Midsummer location”, “Will it shine or rain on Midsummer”. Poor meteorologists are on TV every day several times a day trying to tell the nation of 5 million people how this Midsummer will turn out to be.
See, for many there is more at stake than just Midsummer. Midsummer opens the Finnish holiday season and so marks also the weather at the beginning of vacation time. This year, I am of course one of the many. According to Talouselämä magazine Finns use money on berries, festivities, t-shirts, ice cream and cider. Go figure..
So what is the prediction for weather for Midsummer 2011? For a week now the meteorologists have told us that we will have typical Midsummer weather. And what is that you might ask? Well, it is “varied”, i.e. sunshine, cloudy and rainy all mixed into a truly unpredictable daily cocktail. They also remind us that this is indeed typical, only 1 out 3 Midsummer statistically is given a sunshine coating.
Does this matter then, you might wonder? Well, yes and no. Basically, regardless of the weather Midsummer will be here also this year. But I would not be honest if I did not confess I vote for sunshine each time. Unfortunately this is not a voting matter. 
We have been watching the forecasts also in order to decided when to go to the cottage. Hopefully we see a turn-around after the predicted storm this evening. Still, I am on holiday, Finland is beautifully green and lush, I can relax indoors just as easily as outdoors. Life is good.
How is the weather in your part of the world this Midsummer?
“What do I wish for Xmas? Sunny Midsummer naturally, maybe Santa is more helpful than voting into the Universe…”
