Swedish Midsommar
Sadly, the movie "Midsummer" caused some confusion among some people who now believe that Swedes sacrifice each other every June... Swedish Midsommar is actually an amazing holiday spent with friends and family and is a celebration of summer with dance, games, drinks, and traditional Swedish food - new potatoes, herring, asparagus, and strawberries are a must!The day often begins with picking flowers which are then tied into beautiful wreaths. Traditionally, Midsummer signaled the season of love and fertility. Those in search of love put seven different flowers under their pillow at the end of the evening in the hope that their future spouse will appear in the dream. For those of you who have seen the movie - yes, many Swedes dance around the Midsummer Pole, but it is not at all as extreme and challenging as it is shown in the movie.Sadly, Sweden is not as good at wearing folk costumes as our neighbors in Norway (the vast majority do not own a folk costume), but some consider showing and wearing folk costumes from different parts of the country to be an essential part of the holiday!I really think everyone should have the chance to celebrate a nice and authentic midsummer in Sweden at least once in their lives! From VisitSweden.com "The successful midsummer never-ending lunch party formula involves flowers in your hair, dancing around a pole, singing songs while drinking unsweetened, flavoured schnapps. And downing a whole load of pickled herring served with delightful new potatoes, chives and sour cream. All in all, a grand day out."
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