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June 20, 2009

Happy Midsummer!

HAPPY MIDSUMMER!!


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 :)

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7 comments so far

  1. Malin says:

    Glad midsommar! Dessvärre var det åska och regn hela kvällen här men det var trevligt ändå :)

  2. Hev says:

    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:

  3. Alice says:

    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!

  4. Kristine says:

    Midsummer sounds fun – wish I was there :D

  5. Melissa says:

    Sounds like a blast but you forgot to mention that midsummer is the faeries favorite time for mischief! :P

  6. Jasmine says:

    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.

  7. Karin says:

    @ Melissa – Yeah, that’s right. Faeries, trolls, wood nymphs… they’re all running around like crazy these days :P

 

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