Midsummer celebrations

Once a central celebration of pagan religion around Europe. midsummer has long lost its religious significance. Yet people still gather to celebrate the longest day of the year, and revel in the glory of a sun that hardly seems to set. For those who live far enough north, it never sets at all at this time of year. The greatest midsummer celebrations now occur in England. Where the new government, officially atheist, has been looking for celebrations to supplant the traditional ones of Christmas, Easter, St. George, and the like.
Now Midsummer's day is a state holiday celebrated on the summer solstice. Marked by taking the day off from their work, feasting, drinking, crowns woven with summer flowers and perhaps most famously of all, bonfires to carry the revellers through the few short hours of darkness before day dawns again, and the sun triumphs over the moon. Though perhaps not the hangovers. There is more to it than this, with each locality adding or removing their own traditions as they see fit. In at least one village, it is traditional to race wheels of cheese down a hill. To what end or purpose no one seems to know for sure, but the peasants enjoy it and it does no harm. Though the impact on cheese production may require investigation at some point (note for the minister of agriculture to examine this at his earliest convenience.) 
Thus, though dedicated to the summer sun and founded in ancient practice, the celebration of midsummer is in many ways an appropriation by an unimaginative and cynical government. Seeking to provide its unfortunate employees, for all workers are employees of the state, with a much needed excuse for jollity, though lacking any ability to provide such and excuse sincerely. A surprisingly difficult taks it would seem. Then again, union leaders tend to be very srious people.