Editing Ukko (section)

==Festivals dedicated to Ukko==
{{See also|Vakkajuhlat}}
Before the advent of [[Christianity]], the [[Midsummer]] festival in Finland, today known as {{lang|fi|[[Juhannus#Finland|Juhannus]]}} after [[John the Baptist]] ({{Langx|fi|Johannes Kastaja}}), was held in honor of {{lang|fi|Ukko|italic=unset}} and called {{lang|fi|[[Ukon juhla]]}} (Festival of Ukko). This tradition carried to the 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|title=Juhannus, mittumaari, vuotuisjuhlista vehrein|url=http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=2338|access-date=2012-07-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316235419/http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=2338|archive-date=2012-03-16}}</ref>

Also dedicated to {{lang|fi|Ukko|italic=unset}} were the {{lang|fi|[[Vakkajuhlat]]}} ({{Lang|fi|Vakka}} festival) also known as {{Lang|fi|Ukon vakat}} (Ukko's {{Lang|fi|vakkas}}) or simply {{Lang|fi|vakat}} ({{Lang|fi|Vakka}}s). {{Lang|fi|Vakka}}s were commonly held in May coinciding with the spring [[sowing]]. During {{Lang|fi|Vakka}}s it was customary to consume or otherwise offer a container or some other vessel ({{Langx|fi|vakka}}) of an [[alcoholic beverage]] or food as sacrifice. It appears that often the festival was held in the community's [[sacred grove]] or {{Lang|fi|[[hiisi]]}} where an [[animal sacrifice]] was sometimes also performed as part of the same festival. This [[ceremony]] was believed to guarantee good weather for the coming year and thus a good [[harvest]].<ref name=Haavio-1967/>

It appears that the {{Lang|fi|vakka}} tradition was rather lively. The last uncontested reports of {{Lang|fi|Vakka}}s being held originate in the 19th century, although sporadic reports also surface in the 20th century.<ref name=Haavio-1967/> The festival is also mentioned by the Finnish reformer {{lang|fi|[[Mikael Agricola]]}} in his account of what from his point of view was Finnish [[idolatry]].<ref>{{cite report |first=Mikael |last=Agricola |author-link=Mikael Agricola |title=3.&nbsp;Alcupuhe Psaltarin päle, 1551. Otteita esipuheen runomuotoisesta loppuosasta |section=3. B. Selostus suomalaisten vanhoista epäjumalista |website=vvks.info |section-url=http://www.vvks.info/tekstit/1500_1_agricola/3b/index.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2012-07-18 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218074555/http://www.vvks.info/tekstit/1500_1_agricola/3b/index.html |archive-date=2013-02-18 }}</ref>