Iceland’s traditional celebration of Saint John’s Day is called Jónsmessa.
Jónsmessa is observed on June 24, the feast day traditionally associated with John the Baptist. Icelandic folklore gives the date a special place in the calendar, with stories about unusual natural and supernatural events occurring around Midsummer.
Traditional beliefs connected with Jónsmessa include the idea that cows may gain the ability to speak and that seals may shed their skins and become human. These are folklore motifs, not scientific claims, and they help distinguish Icelandic Jónsmessa from ordinary church observance.
The celebration belongs to a wider European group of solstice and Saint John traditions. Iceland’s northern location also makes the period notable for very long daylight hours. The exact amount of daylight varies by location, but around the solstice northern Iceland experiences days with no conventional sunset.