The celebrations surrounding the summer solstice are known as Midsummer. In the Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states, where the nights are barely dark at this time of year ("White Nights"), the customs are particularly vibrant. For the festival, many people dress up; girls and women usually wear white or floral dresses; many also wear their traditional costumes. Some make wreaths of flowers or birch twigs and place them on themselves or their children. The custom is similar in many ways to the German tradition of erecting a maypole.