Glad Midsommar - Midsummer greetings!

Glad Midsommar! Our family and friends in Sweden are getting ready to celebrate midsummer this coming weekend. Midsummer's Eve and Midsummer's Day (Midsommarafton and Midsommardagen) were formerly celebrated on 23 June and 24 June, but since 1953 the celebration has been moved to the Friday and Saturday between 19 June and 26 June.

As Sweden bursts into life again after the winter and the landscape is transformed into a colorful palate, Swedes kick back and enjoy Midsummer. Follow these five simple steps to create your own, very Swedish Midsummer party:


1.Get the pole in place

Swedes need something to dance around: in winter it’s the Christmas tree, in summer the Maypole (midsommarstång) takes over.

2.Dress for success

Another important activity in preparation for the feast is to tread light-footedly through the surrounding nature in search for wild flowers. Swedes use these flowers to stylishly bind into garlands to adorn their heads.

3.Get your culinary classics

With everything set up, it’s more than likely time for lunch, which should be enjoyed outside — set up a table with a decorative cloth and serve. The Midsummer feast traditionally consists of new potatoes with dill, sour cream and pickled herring, with the season’s first strawberries and whipped cream to follow.

As for the adults, the food is often washed down with alcohol. Use beer, wine or any non-alcoholic alternative to quench your thirst, and nubbe (shot of alcohol) for courage, long life, love, vitality, the local soccer team or any other reason for a toast. The nubbe or brännvin is usually distilled from grain or potato and can be flavored, but is never sweet. It is always accompanied by drinking songs which range from raucous to rude to just plain silly.

4.Sing and dance like a Swede

Now the dancing can begin. Regardless of how many people are at your Midsummer party, you should form a circle round the pole. To the layman, the dancing needn't be too complicated. Usually, it’s just a question of maintaining movement in one direction, then changing direction at intervals. One of the favourite is Små grodorna (The little frogs), which involves hopping round as little frogs.

5.Dream of love

The party often goes on late into the night. Some continue drinking and some take the innuendo of the dance to its natural conclusion. In the past, innocent girls picked seven flowers as they wandered home; placing the flowers under their pillow was supposed to inspire them to dream of their future husband.

(Source: http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Traditions/Reading/Midsummer/)
 
Note: The Sweden-New Zealand Association in Wellington have our annual midsummer celebration in February.