MIDSOMMAR

Midsommar is an ancient holiday celebrating the Summer Solstice and the season’s longest days of light in the North; it is a celebration of life, love and the fertility of the harvest! Midsommar is a time to revel in the wildness of the natural world, and to hold sacred the sun-drenched days spent outdoors. It is a time for a bit of mischief, storytelling, and even magic. Ancient lore tells us that is the best time for reading fortunes, or for finding treasure by watching where the moon beams fall. Plants and flowers take on strong healing powers on this day, and it is believed that if a young woman places seven flowers beneath her pillow on midsummer’s night, she will dream of her true love!

For centuries, Northern Europe has celebrated by singing songs, playing games and burning bonfires late into the night. In the Sweden of yore, villagers would adorn themselves with ferns and decorate their houses and farming tools with foliage in homage to a successful harvest. Around the 1500’s, maypoles were erected and covered in leaves and flowers for revelers to dance around- creating a sanguine tradition that survives to this day! While midsummer celebrations continue to take place around the world, the Nordic countries have best preserved the spirit of this beautiful holiday. Across Scandinavia, cities and towns close up shop as their residents flee to the countryside. Although there are slight variations to their traditions, the main focus is always on time spent outdoors with others. In Sweden, Midsommar’s Eve always falls on the Friday between June 19th and June 25th. Being Scandinavian and of predominantly Swedish descent, I have always kept to this timeline when planning my annual Midsommar soiree. The festivities are always based around the capricious weather here in New England, and as such there are years we celebrate on the Friday, and other years when we celebrate on the Saturday. The beauty of Midsommar is that it can be celebrated when and as you wish!

I have shared my tried and true traditions for celebrating Midsommar below, and hope you will become inspired to celebrate this enchanted holiday with your loved ones for many years to come!

Set the Scene

Your table settings need not be ostentatious, Midsommar is all about embracing nature and using what is available to you! Each year, I gather ferns to create a natural table runner in homage to the traditions of my ancestors. Weaving flowers or baby’s breathe between the fronds imbues a sense of romanticism and charm, and spare blooms can be tied to the stems of champagne coupes or wine glasses with ribbon or twine. It is a simple yet thoughtful gesture that showcases the heart of the holiday! As Midsommar celebrations often linger into the night, I add candles down the table, their flickering glow adding a bit of mischief as the sun descends.

Holiday Attire

Wearing white clothing and wreaths of flowers or ferns is a festive staple of this holiday. Flower crowns can be purchased or made, and are welcome for all to wear!

Planning the Menu

Your Midsommar menu should focus on easy to prepare foods that are mostly in season and local to you. Traditionally in Scandinavia, new potatoes with dill and the first strawberries of the season are highlights of the meal. Aquavit or schnapps (“snaps”) are served to drink and if you’d like for a truly authentic Midsommar experience, you may enjoy them with pickled herring or smoked salmon.

Each year, I prepare my Swedish Meatballs served with lingonberry preserves, new potatoes with dill, cucumber salad, herbed spring pea dip with Norwegian crisp bread, cake with strawberries and cream, and splurge on vanilla ice cream served with cloudberry preserves. Cloudberries are wild berries that only grow far in the north and almost exclusively in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Canada and Alaska. They resemble a raspberry but are golden yellow in color and have a more seedy texture and tart flavor. Because of their rarity, they can be quite expensive! Cloudberry preserves are available to purchase in most Scandinavian markets, and even on Amazon. If you are local to Rhode Island or Southern New England, you can find cloudberry preserves at Bestemors in Mystic Village, Connecticut. They have a wide variety of Scandinavian products, and the absolute best cardamom bread in the world. I highly recommend you pay them a visit!

Festive Frivolity

Midsommar is a time for frivolity - celebrate with music and singing songs, playing yard games and telling stories, or dancing long into the night by a bonfire. Follow the traditions of old and search for treasure beneath the moon beams and place seven flowers beneath your pillow before you fall asleep. And, should you have a maypole handy, be sure to dance around it and leap like a frog. Skål!