In Sweden, the Midsummer Festival (Midsommar) is the most important celebration after Christmas.
The secrets to the success of the endless Midsummer feast are the flower crowns worn in the hair, the dances around a decorated pole, the singing at the top of your lungs while drinking snaps (a typical aromatic Swedish schnapps) and devouring a huge amount of pickled herring (sill) served with delicious new potatoes, chives, and sour cream.
The Midsummer Festival initially was held on June 24th. Today, Midsummer’s Eve is celebrated on the Friday between June 20th and 25th.
It takes place at Skansen, in parks, gardens, and holiday homes. Anywhere outdoors where someone invites you.
Outdoor celebrations
Cities, whether small or large, literally empty their inhabitants; people head to camping and chalets, the typical accommodations for the Midsummer holiday.
Many plan the trip well in advance and leave very early in the morning, only to discover that almost everyone else had the same brilliant idea.
Flowers and the Maypole
Collecting flowers is one of the fundamental activities of the Midsummer celebrations, as wildflowers are used to make garlands to wear and also to decorate the Maypole.
The pole has the place of honor in the center of the celebrations: it is hoisted amid music and the rhythm of traditional folk dances. Once the typical dances and games end, the other celebrations begin.
The Midsummer menu
The menu for Midsummer is a classic, changing little from year to year: fresh new potatoes boiled in dill accompany a wide variety of herring and salmon served with sour cream, chopped chives, and other condiments. These are just some of the delights brought to the table on this occasion.
To wash it all down, there is snaps, the typical aromatic Swedish schnapps, and, naturally, rivers of beer.
Mystery, magic, and tradition
Midsummer Festival always falls on a Friday and is a night full of mystery, magic, and tradition. Girls must gather seven different species of flowers and place them under their pillow during the night.
According to legend, they will see their future husband in a dream. For those who prefer to stay awake, there is no better evening to fully experience the midnight sun.
The magic of this very special moment becomes even more intense as the hours pass, and the longest day of the year continues relentlessly and seems never to fade away…
