Magic of A Swedish Midsummer
The sun has not set and won't now for a few days. There is a light breeze in the air and as I come back from my early morning swim, I gather flowers to make flower wreaths for our heads and to decorate the Maypole for later in the day.
The fields are full of flowers. The bird song is nearly deafening. There is a light breeze and there is a bit of excitement in the air as we begin the Summer celebration of midsummer.
Our greatest memories come from the connection we have with family and friends, with place, and celebration.
My family comes from the island of Gotland in Sweden. Whether in the US or on Gotland midsummer is a constant and full celebration in my family. As the sun stops at the North Pole for a couple of days before it begins its return journey south, we embrace our rituals and traditions to celebrate this time of year which is full of sun, life, and vibrancy.
Also connected to this day is my mother's birthday. When I was small I always thought all of these events of Midsummer were actually done to celebrate my mother. I thought it was so fun to have the entire community wish her a Happy Birthday. The world, in all its fullness and glory stopped for her.
Midsummer's Eve and Midsummer time is magical and holds magical properties for love, healing, as in the healing and health giving powers of all the flowers and herbs that abound around us. This energetic and magical time of the year can have witnessed hidden treasures and gifts being found near rocks, streams, or in flowers. There are also myths and legends which tell of water turning into wine, and green ferns turning into flowers.
There is also the tradition of young girls going out on Midsummer's Eve to pick 7 different types of flowers to put under there pillows at night to dream of their life partner.
Midsummer is an ancient fertility rite practiced in modern times. It is the celebration of the midnight sun to bring full and abundant harvests at the end of summer. In the Norse Cosmology it is the time of the sacred twins Frey and Freyja as well as all of the Vanir gods who bring abundance and the future.
In my grandparents time the celebrations of Midsummer with the celebration of the sun and white nights ,were thought to ward off evil spirits and keep the cold dark winter from returning. Nowadays it signifies the real start of summer with warmer and days filled with light. It is time to be together as a family and to linger and cherish these days of summer. In Sweden and especially on Gotland, the 5 glorious weeks of summer begin. People take their vacations during this time and go to their summer houses or retreats and soak up every ounce of vitamin D they can get into their bodies. Winter is dark and cold here. It's a real thing and so is summer.
After coming back from my swim, we start creating flower wreaths. Taking the stems of flowers and over lapping them until we have a flower crown to fit our heads. We wear these all day long.
There is a traditional Midsummer lunch served of pickled herring and boiled potatoes. We eat a lot on this day but in shifts. After lunch we come together as a community to dance and sing around the Maypole.
One of the main events of Midsummer is the afternoon raising of the Majstang or Maypole. This beautiful wooden pole is draped with greenery and flowers and pulled up in community at our local folk house or park. After the pole has been decorated and raised the real fun of dancing around the pole while singing and acting out songs begins. This is an intergenerational tradition. We sing songs and tell the saga of a little frog "Små Grodorna".
During this event we also have our Midsummer fika. Fika is the sacred Swedish coffee time. During our Midsummer celebrations it is made even more sacred by having a piece of sponge cake layered with whip cream and strawberries.
In the evening we have a grand bbq and the drinking begins in earnest along with drinking songs.
The end of the day comes with a bonfire which keep the evil spirits away. It is said that spirits are free to roam the earth when the sun is turning towards the South and the Southern Hemisphere.
Wishing you and yours a very Glad and Happy Midsummer!!
