Midsummer celebration

Midsummer celebrationSummer in Sweden is short. Its offensive is felt already in May, and the real flowering comes in June. There is a lot to do in the summer before the cold September nights come and nature begins to fade. Midsummer Festival, or Midsommar, is the time when fresh young foliage is already green. At this time there are the brightest nights of the year, and in the very north of the country the sun does not set at all.

The Swedish holiday Midsommar (in Russia it corresponds to the holiday of Ivan Kupala) is celebrated in the summer on the longest day of the year, on Saturday closest to June 24. According to some scholars, it has roots in pagan pre-Christian times and is associated either with the festival of the end of sowing or with some other pagan festival of midsummer.

With the establishment of Christianity in Sweden, Midsommar became a Christian celebration of John the Baptist’s birthday.

In the Middle Ages, large bonfires were lit on Midsommar, but now this is only done in some areas of Sweden, as well as in other northern countries.

According to legend, all evil spirits are especially active on the night of Midsommar and many people stayed at home, afraid to confuse anything in the difficult rules of salvation from it. Especially young people should be careful, because at night in the forest on the banks of the river they could be waiting for Nacken, a certain “Mermaid”. He has often been described as a naked young man playing the violin, luring young people into his water realm from which there is no return.

Young girls guessed at the betrothed, collecting in complete silence before bed seven different types of flowers and put them under the pillow on the night on Midsommar. If from the moment of gathering until sleep the girl did not say a word, at night she dreamed of her betrothed.

The main celebrations are not at Midsommar itself, but rather at Midsommarafton (the evening before the holiday). Swedes get together, sing table songs (snapsvisor) and eat. Typical for the “Midsummer Festival” dish is a spicy herring “mother” with boiled young potatoes, dill, sour cream and red onions. Then one of the dishes of the grill is served - pork ribs or salmon. For dessert, the first strawberry with cream. Of the drinks there is cold beer, as well as schnapps or vodka, preferably infused with herbs and spices.

Source: www.sweden.se