In a few hours, hundreds of bonfires will light up in the summer night. Sankthansaften is one of the summer’s big holidays and is celebrated in several places in the country. Share your Sankthans photos with news Finally, people can stand close around the fire again, but a new challenge has arisen: This year, more people have to settle for a much more expensive celebration than usual. The reason is increased prices for wood due to the war in Ukraine. Barrel fire for 150,000 kroner In the district Laksevåg in Bergen, the traditional – and very expensive – barrel fire will be lit. Preparations for the celebration started well in advance with ordering wooden barrels. Then the work on Laksevåg begins. This year, 300 barrels have been ordered for NOK 500 each. In other words, barrels for a total of 150,000 kroner. – Some will think that we are crazy about spraying, but tradition is perhaps more important, says Sankthans committee leader Tommy Moe in Laksevåg Archers. The fire is also built in the traditional way. The barrels are nailed together one by one with a hammer and nails. There are no nail guns here. Work began on May 23, and almost a month later the fire was ready. The Sankthans committee wanted more barrels, but had to settle for 300. Photo: Arne Frank Solheim / news Old barrels are in short supply The celebration of Sankthans dates back to the 1770s, and bonfires have been an important part of the celebration for many years. Until the 90s, Laksevåg’s Archers got used barrels for free. After that, it has become much more difficult to get hold of old barrels. It is also more expensive to use old barrels. Therefore, they have now switched to using new ones. It is cheaper to make new barrels to order. This year, the costs are extra high due to increased material prices. Since the celebration last year, each barrel has become 100 kroner more expensive, according to Moe. The backdrop is the invasion of Ukraine, and that now goods from Russia and Belarus are no longer purchased. There are two countries that are major producers of wood-based products. A swarm of boats in Sandefjord Just as important as a bonfire is the boat cortege in Sandefjord in Vestfold and Telemark. For 90 years, people have gathered in the boats to ride together in the Sandefjord archipelago. Those who were not in a boat followed the tradition faithfully from land. The whale boat Southern Actor was the lead boat for this year’s cortege. Martin Yggeseth has been part of the boat procession since 1985. For him, it is the start of the summer. Sankthansaften in the summer town Sandefjord. Photo: Kurt Inge Dale / news – This is delicious. One can not feel better. Summer, sun, salt water and a trip on the fjord. It’s absolutely perfect, he says. It can seem like a difficult exercise to maneuver small and large vessels in the throng of boats on the water. – It goes very well, as long as everyone drives the same way. But not everyone does it, and then it gets a little difficult, laughs Yggeseth. What is it that makes this boat ride so popular? – Sandefjord is a summer town, and there are an insane amount of boats here. Afterwards, they meet on the skerries and enjoy themselves around bonfires and barbecues. – This is summer with big S. Martin Yggeseth is one of many who participate in the boat procession in Sandefjord. Photo: Kurt Inge Dale / news Ålesund scraps barrels – uses pallets Slinningsbålet is another bonfire with a long tradition. Every year, the bonfire is made at Slinningsodden in Ålesund, and in 2016 it set a world record for the world’s tallest bonfire. Last year, they bought 100 barrels for the fire. Then they noticed that barrels are not very economical. – We have moved away from using barrels. It is expensive and little access, says Oskar Hessen, former fire chief. This year they have decided to use only pallets. They get it sponsored by various companies, and thus avoid costs associated with it. Will continue To finance the fire in Bergen, the committee arranged a lottery sale in mid-May. Where they were left with a profit of 29,000 kroner. Now they hope it can get the rest of the money they need by selling entrance tickets and food. For a family of four, it costs 500 kroner to participate in the celebration. Then you get a concert and various activities. – We have received criticism that it is expensive, but it is top entertainment for reasonable money, says Moe. He says that they will continue with this tradition as long as possible. – It is an important tradition that people want us to take care of, says Moe.
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The barrel fire at Laksevåg cost 150,000 kroner this year – news Vestland
