Midsommar

Midsummer

Summer in Sweden isn’t very long. It starts in the beginning of May and ends in September. In the north part of our country the sun never sets below the horizon! In the south it’s dark just one-two hours at night.
As many other Swedish traditions this holiday is also usually celebrated in the countryside.

The maypole is an old symbol for fertility, and it nearly looks as a penis. The pole is raised on an open field where you dance around the pole.

Typical midsummer food; pickled herring, boiled potatoes with dill, sour cream, red onion, spareribs, salmon and crayfish.
Because of overfishing it’s only allowed to fish the river crayfish in August. But you can eat the sea crayfish the whole year and they taste much better then the river crayfish. You can eat them with your hands and it’s okay gorging.
With all the food you drink a lot of beer and spiced vodka.

A classical midsummer desert includes fresh strawberries with sugar and whipped cream.

Because of all the alcohol many children are made at midsummer night. That’s why many Swedish are born in March!