 |
| Midsummer 2019 Djäkneberget, Västerås |
In Sweden, the 3rd Friday of June is a long weekend because of the summer solstice. Midsummer, is what it is called: the longest day of the year.
 |
| Dusk at Midsummer (2011) Grönhögen, Öland |
Swedes start with an early dinner, fika (coffee with snacks), play garden or card games under the sun. Most of Scandinavia are awake until midnight, where the sun sets low on the horizon and begins to rise again at about 3 a.m.
 |
| A Typical Midsummer Dinner Plate Serving |
We celebrated many midsummer nights differently since I arrived in Sweden, early 2011. That year, we travelled with the rest of the family to Öland to join the festivities near a barn.
 |
| Midsummer 2011 Grönhögen, Öland, Sweden |
In 2019, we danced with a thousand others around a Midsummer pole in Djäkneberget, Västerås. Afterwards, we went to a friend’s place to hang out and try their new jet ski.
 |
| Midsummer 2019: People Dancing Around the Midsummer Pole Djäkneberget, Västerås |
 |
| Midsummer 2019 Djäkneberget, Västerås |
 |
| Midsummer 2019: Dancers Around The Midsummer Pole Djäkneberget, Västerås |
This year 2021, we just grilled on the porch and played UNO while eating homemade cheesecake.
 |
| Playing UNO during Midsummer. |
Celebrating midsummer in Sweden can differ from person to person, but there is one thing that is constant in every midsummer eve’s early dinner: pickled herring, meatballs, prince hotdogs, potatoes, boiled eggs with caviar, and fresh, Swedish strawberries!
 |
| Strawberries on homemade strawberry cheesecake with whipped cream. |
 |
| Strawberry on homemade strawberry cheesecake with chocolate whipped cream. |
Midsummer in Sweden, and most of Scandinavia, is all about staying outside and having fun in the sun. Don’t forget to dance!
Comments
Post a Comment