also: げしさい
midsummer festival; summer solstice celebration; St. John's Day
Refers to festivals held around the summer solstice, often with bonfires and traditional rituals. In Japan, it may be associated with local Shinto observances or modern events inspired by European midsummer traditions. The term can also refer to the Christian feast of St. John the Baptist.
In Northern Europe, they light large bonfires for the midsummer festival.
A summer solstice celebration was held at the local shrine.
Standard kanji spelling. The reading げしさい is less common and may be used in more formal or ritual contexts.
Alternate reading, possibly used in certain traditional or Shinto contexts. げしまつり is the more everyday reading.
Compound of 夏至 (geshi, 'summer solstice') and 祭 (matsuri/sai, 'festival'). The term likely entered Japanese through cultural exchange with European midsummer traditions, but is now used for both foreign and domestic solstice celebrations.