Did you know… In Sweden we also celebrate the night of San Juan. But the Swedes do not celebrate it by making bonfires and throw firecrackers and fireworks all night. Instead we eat, sing and dance. This special day is called midsummer.
Midsummer in Sweden
The Swedish summer is short, really short. It sneaks up in May and explodes in June. The it ends in August or September when the nights are getting colder and the vegetation stops. At Midsummer, the Swedish summer is as it’s top peak, light, green and blooming and the nights are bright. In the north part of Sweden the sun never sets.
How to celebrate midsummer in Sweden
The main thing about midsummer is food. Typical Midsummer dishes is pickled herring with boiled fresh potatoes and fresh dill, sour cream and red onion. Then something grilled, maybe ribs or salmon and the summer’s first strawberries with cream for dessert.
The food is served with cold beer and spiced schnapps. Each refill of the schnapps glass gives a new reason to chant. Swedes like drinking songs, the bolder the better.
The Maypole is an important symbol at the midsummer selebration. It is a green flower-covered pole which is a center for song and dance. The dance around the Maypole with traditional Swedish songs is a must at the midsummer feast.
Midsummer circumscribed by a certain nostalgic. The Swedish peoples are all agreed about how a midsummer should look and how it should proceed. The feast often goes on late into the night.
On the way home the girls according to old superstition shall pick seven kinds of flowers and put under the pillow. The future man will then appear in the dream.
Midsummer night was, according to Swedish folklore, a magical night of love…
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