In Sweden, the Midsummer Festival (Midsommar) is the most important celebration after Christmas.
The key ingredients of the endless Midsummer lunch are the iconic flower crowns in your hair, dancing around a decorated maypole, singing traditional songs while drinking snaps (a typical Swedish flavored spirit), and consuming generous amounts of pickled herring (sill), served with delicious new potatoes, chives and sour cream.
The Midsummer Festival was originally held on June 24. Today, the Midsummer’s Eve celebrations take place on the Friday between June 20 and 25.
Festivities are held at Skansen, in parks, gardens, summer homes—anywhere outdoors, as long as you’re invited.
Outdoor celebrations
Cities, large or small, empty out as people head to campsites and chalets—the typical getaways for Midsummer.
Many Swedes plan their trip well in advance, leaving early in the morning, only to find that nearly everyone else had the same brilliant idea.
Flowers and the Maypole
Picking wildflowers is an integral part of Midsummer festivities since the flowers are used both for making garlands to wear and for decorating the maypole.
The maypole stands at the heart of the celebrations, raised with live music and traditional folk dances. Once the dancing and games are over, the other festivities begin.
The Midsummer menu
The menu for Midsummer hardly changes: freshly boiled new potatoes with dill, a wide selection of herring and salmon served with sour cream, chopped chives and other toppings—just some of the delicacies shared for this annual feast.
All of it is washed down with generous amounts of snaps, the traditional Swedish flavored spirit, and, naturally, plenty of beer.
Mystery, magic and tradition
The Midsummer Festival always falls on a Friday—a night filled with mystery, magic, and tradition. Girls collect seven different kinds of wildflowers and place them under their pillow that night.
Legend says that during their dreams, they will see their future husband. For those who’d rather stay up, there’s no better evening to truly enjoy the midnight sun.
The magic of this unique occasion only intensifies as the hours pass and the year’s longest day stretches on, seemingly never ending…
