Swedish Midsummer - the Ultimate Guide in 15 steps

 15 steps to make your Swedish Midsummer absolutely perfect. Midsummer is probably Swedens most popular traditional holiday and it has ancient roots dating back to summer solstice celebrations thousands of years ago. Today it marks the beginning of the real summer and many Swedes start their summer vacation after Midsummer. This is the time of year the sun never sets in the north of Sweden, the land of the Midnight sun. And further south, it is still hard to tell whether it is dusk or dawn on the longest day of the year.

Midsummer Eve is always celebrated on a Friday to enjoy a long weekend off. But this year, Midsummer celebrations are bound to be a little different due to the Corona virus, which in Sweden means no gatherings with more than 50 persons and of course many more precautions on a personal level. But, Swedish Midsummer will for sure be celebrated in some way also this year. Learn the 15 steps below, and celebrate like a true Swede.

1.          Avoid the city. Midsummer should be celebrated in the countryside. Downtown will become a ghost town, empty and deserted. If you, like 80% of the Swedes, own a summer house or have regular access to one, that’s where you want to be. If you don’t have a summer house, try to get yourself invited to one. As a last resort, find one of the official Midsummer celebrations that are held in every city and town around Sweden for those poor souls that are stuck in the concrete jungle.

2.          Dress summery. This means a flowery dress, a swirly skirt, linen clothes, light, bright colours, short sleeves. You get the idea.

3.          Make yourself a flower crown. Put it in your hair. Women and men alike. Ok, a nice straw hat will also do. But real men wear flowers in their beard.

4.          Make sure to be surrounded by family or friends. Preferably both. New friends do count.

5.          Build a Midsummer Pole. Make a cross out of two poles or sticks. But remember that the cross shape is purely coincidentally resembling the Christian symbol. Midsummer is the modern version of an ancient pagan tradition, way older than Christianity. Add two round circles at the edges of the arms of the cross. Dress the whole creation in leaves and decorate with wild flowers.

6.          Raise the Midsummer Pole. Perhaps you want to take it for a ride first? That means carrying it around for a while to the tunes of folk music of violins and accordion. 

And then all the men (and some women) try to prove their strength by pulling the pole until it stands straight. Applause.

ALTERNATIVE to step 5 - 6: Join an official Midsummer celebration that takes place in every village, every town, every city. There you can enjoy a full size Midsummer pole in all its glory. 


7.          Dance around the Midsummer Pole! Everybody joins - little sister, Auntie, old Grand Pa, the neighbour etc etc. Yes, you also! Nobody is excused. It is cheesy and silly, but yet so wonderful. 
This part of the program will be a bit tricky in corona times, since most of these dances involve holding hands in a big circle at some point. But the most famous of them all, the Little Froggies, is mainly about jumping around like… yes, frogs. In a circle. While singing Kwak kwak kwak. Perfectly normal. Important to know: In Sweden the frogs make the sound Kwak. Which is why the chorus in the song goes like this; Kwakakak Kwakakak Kwakakakaka-kaaaaa. A very catchy tune that you will learn in a few seconds. And most probably never forget, although you might want to.

8.          Divide in to teams and play more silly games. These are often based on a race where you might have to jump with your legs inside a potatoe sack, run with an egg on a spoon in your mouth or try to find the way forward after completing 10 circles around a short pole with your forehead touching it (Hint; that last part of the game goes under the nickname Irish Christmas. No further comment).

9. Enjoy a brief moment of the sweet tiredness that comes after dancing silly dances around the Midsummer Pole and even sillier games as people dissolves and continue to their own private dinner party. Perhaps a little sauna? A swim in the nearby lake? Or read a book in the outhouse - the only place where you can be alone?

10.      Decorate for the Midsummer dinner party. First you have to chose the place. If it is nice weather, you only have one option. Outdoors! Swedes are obsessed with enjoying the outdoors. If the weather is less nice, maybe an old barn will do. Decorate the place with birch tree branches and wild flowers. It should look a bit messy and wild. A long table is mandatory where everybody can squeeze in. Children are often seated on their own at the Childrens´ table, much to their joy.

11.      It is time for the Midsummer Dinner! First course? Like always on traditional Swedish holidays: Pickled Herring! Tastes better than it looks. Comes in many flavours, so if you don’t like the first one, try the next. There is almost always one flavour just for you. Classic favourites include the slightly sweet Union Herring, the creamy Mustard herring and of course the Midsummer Special; Matjes, made from a recipe borrowed from the Dutch. Second course: Barbecue. Put anything you like on the grill. Salmon? Meat? Veggies? Served with boiled new potatoes in dill and sour cream. Dessert? This summers first strawberries, with whipped cream.

12.      Drink snaps and sing snaps songs! To complete the traditional Swedish way of celebrating; the aquavit or snaps or nubbe must be served. Snaps (NOT schnapps like the German version but with a simple s) is an alcoholic beverage made from grains and flavoured with herbs and flowers. It is served in tiny, tiny glasses, but beware! Before you can take a sip, you have to wait for the host to do the official toast - or SKÅL. And then, everybody must join the singing of one of the many snapsvisor - snaps songs!

13.      Dance the non-existing night away! After a long evening of eating and skåling and drinking and repeat most probably there will be some dancing. It can be couples dancing or dancing to the hits of your youth (and naturally the music choice depends on how long ago your youth was).

14.      Complete pagan yet innocent magic rituals. Get inspired by our forefathers and perform a magic ritual to capture the special power that has long been associated with the summer solstice. To strengthen your health, you can roll naked in the Midsummer dew. Or if you prefer a less revealing ritual, you can save your Midsummer crown and put it in your Christmas bath. If you are single, consider trying one of the many love rituals that have been passed over to us from our distant ancestors. A famous one is to pick a wild flower, and then jump over a wooden fence, pick another kind of wild flower, jump over another fence. Repeat this until you have 7 different kinds of wild flowers in a little bouquet. Then, before going to bed, put it under your pillow and you WILL dream about the love of your life. Success guaranteed. If you manage to fall asleep, that is. Since, after all, what you are celebrating is the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. And that means no darkness at all and birds singing all night long.

15.      CONGRATULATIONS! You have completed a true Swedish Midsummer celebration! Let the true summer begin!