This weekend we celebrate Midsummer here in Sweden. It’s the biggest and most important holiday we have except for Christmas. Midsummer is when we raise Maypoles and dance around them, eat herring and boiled potatoes, and party out in the green nature all night long while drinking ourselves absolutely wasted. All in the light of the midnight sun, or at least that’s what we have up in the northern end of the country. In the south the sun will set as usual. Poor bastards. ;)
According to old folklore Midsummer is a time of love and magic. One of the most common love spells to perform on Midsummer’s Eve is to pick seven kinds of flowers and put them under the pillow, then you’ll see your future love in a dream. I’ve done it when I was little, but I don’t remember who (if anyone) I saw in the dream though.
Regardless if you believe in magic or not, there’s something special about the Nordic summer. It’s so short and intense, and after a long dark winter it seem extraordinary. It’s like plants, animals, and people finally come alive after a deep sleep.
Midsummer is a holiday for the earth, the sun, and the life they both give us. Rather poetic, huh?
Great article about Swedish Midsummer if anyone’s interested.
Btw, who else is celebrating Midsummer?
It’s more countries than Sweden, I’m sure. Norway? Canada? And how do you celebrate it? I’m curious :)
Glad midsommar! Dessvärre var det åska och regn hela kvällen här men det var trevligt ändå :)
The Druid part of me, lol, celebrates midsummer. But I do it privately, & there were other here in the US that will celebrate it, but they don’t make a huge holiday out of it. Glad you had fun though. :rock:
This festival sounds very lovely, I’m sure some people will have celebrated it here but it’s not as highly considered.
I love the idea of it, maybe I’ll have a party next year!
Midsummer sounds fun – wish I was there :D
Sounds like a blast but you forgot to mention that midsummer is the faeries favorite time for mischief! :P
Oh, Midsummer sounds lovely! I love the idea of putting 7 types of flowers under your pillow :D I live in Britain and I’ve never heard of it before.
@ Melissa – Yeah, that’s right. Faeries, trolls, wood nymphs… they’re all running around like crazy these days :P