![]() The same applies on the Saturday (Midsummer’s Day). In larger cities like Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg some restaurants, petrol stations and big supermarkets will still be open, though your options will be limited in rural areas. The Friday (Midsummer’s Eve) is the main event, so many shops are closed altogether, or only open for short periods. Until the 1950s this meant the 23rd June, but the rules have since been changed so that Midsummer is always celebrated on a Friday, to help fit in better with the working week.Īlthough the official public holiday is on the Saturday (Midsummer’s Day), the main festivities take place on the Friday (Midsummer’s Eve) and most companies treat this day as a holiday too. Read this guide to see how much you could save during your trip! When is Midsummer?Ĭelebrations in Sweden take place on the day known as midsommarafton – that is, Midsummer’s Eve. What starts off as a civilised feast can often end up getting rowdy, thanks to the large amounts of bitter-tasting snaps consumed throughout the meal – not to mention the accompanying songs, which inevitably end with everyone taking a gulp of the strong stuff. The classic midsommar lunch is eaten around a table stacked with boiled potatoes, different types of pickled herring, crispbread and salads, though these days just about anything goes. The other part of the traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration involves eating and drinking copious amounts, ideally outside, and ideally without rain or mosquitoes to dampen the mood. ![]() The person who spits the frog the furthest wins! Midsummer food and drink Games such as sack races, egg and spoon races, darts, croquet and chasing games are also often played at Midsummer.Īnd you may see people playing Spotta groda (or Spit the frog), a fairly new game whereby players stand behind a line and try to spit a frog-shaped gummy sweet as far as they can. Today, people are more likely to play lawn games such as kubb (also known as Viking chess), where the aim is to knock down your opponents’ wooden blocks by throwing wooden sticks at them.Īlso popular is Kasta hästsko, where players toss horseshoes at a stake in the ground or in a sandbox, with aim of getting the horseshoe round the stake, or as close as possible. Other traditional Midsummer gamesĪside from maypole dancing, Swedes traditionally celebrated Midsummer by dressing up as “green men” and covering themselves in ferns to encourage fertility as well as decorating their houses and tools with foliage. Its lyrics (The little frogs, the little frogs, are funny to observe/No ears, no ears, no tails) have very little to do with Midsummer, but nobody seems too worried. The best known of all the songs performed is Små Grodorna (Small Frogs). ![]() Women and young children still put wild flowers in their hair, and communities across the country still decorate phallic midsommarstänger, or maypoles, for people to sing and dance around. The time of year around the summer solstice, when the darkness of night is replaced by a magical twilight, would have held special significance for people in northern climes.ĭespite later attempts by the church to transform Midsummer into an entirely Christian festival, it’s the pagan symbols that have stood the test of time. Swedish Midsummer traditions are thought to have their roots in pre-Christian, sun-worshipping cultures. Plenty of foreign tourists visit Sweden in June, to enjoy this most Swedish of celebrations, with activities such as traditional dancing around a maypole and floral wreath making. Midsummer – or midsommar – is still a huge deal across Sweden, with people young and old getting together to celebrate, either at large community events or smaller gatherings of friends and family.Īlmost everyone gets to finish work early on Midsummer’s Eve, leading to a mass exodus from cities like Stockholm and out into the countryside, where meadows full of wild flowers are at their most beautiful. With the possible exception of the weeks leading up to Christmas, the other big festival on the Swedish calendar, it’s the best time of year to be a foreign visitor in the country. Midsummer in Sweden: 2023 guide by Routes Northĭancing, feasting, drinking and a seemingly endless supply of sunlight: there’s a lot to like about Midsummer in Sweden. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |