Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Midsommar is here!


It’s Midsummer’s Week. Midsommarafton (Midsummer Eve) is on Friday - one of Sweden’s biggest festivities!
It is one of the most important holidays of the year in Sweden, and probably the most uniquely Swedish in the way it is celebrated. The main celebrations take place on the Friday, and the traditional events include raising and dancing around a huge maypole. Before the maypole is raised, greens and flowers are collected and used to cover the entire pole.
Raising and dancing around a maypole (majstång or midsommarstång) is an activity that attracts families and many others. People dancing around the pole listen to traditional folk and pop music and some even wear traditional folk costumes. In addition, many wear crowns made of wild springs and wildflowers on their heads. The year's first potatoes, sill (soused herring), chives, sour cream, Swedish beer, homemade snaps and strawberries with cream or strawberry cakes are on the menu. Drinking songs (Snapsvisor) are also important at this feast.

SVEDENLAND, YOUR SWEDISH VOICE IN THE WORLD http://svedenland.blogspot.com/

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