Karin Persson - midsummer 2009
HAPPY MIDSUMMER!! :yay:

This weekend we celebrate Midsummer here in Sweden. It’s the biggest and most important holiday we have (after Christmas). This is the weekend 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 where I live. 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 (yesterday) 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 :P

Regardless if you believe in magic or not, there’s something special about the northern summer. It’s so short and intense and after a long dark winter that alone makes it seem extraordinary. It’s like plants, animals and people finally comes alive after a long, deep sleep.
And Midsummer is when we celebrate that. It’s a holiday for the earth, the sun and the life it gives 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 :)