Glad Midsommar!

Midsommar or Midsummer, is one of the most important days in the Swedish calendar! This is because in Sweden, it marks the beginning and the start of the brief but glorious summer season, a time for leisure, a time for long romantic walks on endless light evenings (the sun can set as late at 11pm and rise again at 4am!).

On this day, all self-respecting ;) swedes take time off work and families fan out into the surrounding forests to collect flowers to make wreaths. These are then hung upon the maypole, which will form the centrepiece of the day’s (and night’s!) celebrations. Ring dances are performed around the maypole to the accompaniment of screams of delight from the children and peels of laughter from the adults.

" As the afternoon wears on and the dancers tire, it is time to eat and feast! A typical Midsommar menu will include various kinds of pickled herring (flavoured with onion, garlic, tomato, mustard sauce, and a myriad of other varieties), boiled new potatoes with freshly-picked dill, soured cream and red onion. Fish always features strongly in Swedish cuisine, and the next course may well include salmon or perhaps a meat dish such as spare ribs. To follow, the summer’s first crop of strawberries will be proudly brought to the table and eagerly devoured.

Of course, the smörgåsbord would not be complete without the traditional accompaniment of cold beer and schnapps – but once again, singing is very much in evidence. You can’t drink a schnapps without singing!"

So from all of us here at Freja Designs Studio, we hope everyone had a lovely lovely time celebrating the coming of summer and Glad Midsommar to all!