It's almost Midsummer! Though I celebrated Sweden's National Day with some proper husmanskost a couple of weeks ago, people say Midsummer is the real Swedish national holiday. They may love their Christian holidays, but the Swedes are sun-worshipping pagans at heart. The Finns and the Norwegians also do Midsummer, but I think most people associate the holiday with the Swedes.
Food traditions include eating herring, potatoes, and strawberry cake, and drinking lots of snaps. Non food traditions include dancing around a midsommerstång (a maypole), singing, and drinking lots of snaps. And, of course, there will be lots of snaps drinking. Skål!
I asked one of my co-workers what she would be doing for Midsummer:
VIVECA: Oh, it's a lot of preparation. You prepare the food, and you drink, and then you eat. And you put up the maypole, and sing. And then you probably drink again.
My co-worker Björn's words of wisdom:
BJÖRN: Don't drink too much snaps.
ME: Why not?
BJÖRN: That's a rookie mistake. Just drink a third of it each time. Otherwise you'll never make it through the night.
Megan already posted this on her blog, but it's worth repeating here. This is a German IKEA commercial which was actually banned by the head office (according to the notes on YouTube, anyway).
Another midsummer tradition is for women to find seven kinds of flowers (again with the sju sorters) to put under their pillow in return for a dream of your future husband. Seems a small price to pay for such intel; I'll let you know whether or not the pagan gods deliver.
Here's the one song/dance I'm going to learn so I can participate -- it's the only kind of pole dancing I'll be doing in this life.
Tomorrow is Midsommarafton (Midsummer Eve), and Saturday is Midsommardagen (Midsummer Day). I'm actually going to Dalarna, north of Stockholm, for Midsommarafton, which is the classic place to celebrate. I suppose it's like going to Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Year's -- touristy, sure, but classic. I'm preparing myself for 11 degree weather (that's 51 degrees Fahrenheit -- witch tit cold, appropriately), and rain mixed with sun, which is apparently the classic Swedish Midsummer weather.
I'm really excited! And I'm a little relieved that the sun will start to let up. Last night, I was up at 12:30am, and though it never got fully dark, the sun was actually starting to rise. I can't even tell you what a mind fuck that is. I almost couldn't go to bed.
Food traditions include eating herring, potatoes, and strawberry cake, and drinking lots of snaps. Non food traditions include dancing around a midsommerstång (a maypole), singing, and drinking lots of snaps. And, of course, there will be lots of snaps drinking. Skål!
I asked one of my co-workers what she would be doing for Midsummer:
VIVECA: Oh, it's a lot of preparation. You prepare the food, and you drink, and then you eat. And you put up the maypole, and sing. And then you probably drink again.
My co-worker Björn's words of wisdom:
BJÖRN: Don't drink too much snaps.
ME: Why not?
BJÖRN: That's a rookie mistake. Just drink a third of it each time. Otherwise you'll never make it through the night.
Megan already posted this on her blog, but it's worth repeating here. This is a German IKEA commercial which was actually banned by the head office (according to the notes on YouTube, anyway).
Another midsummer tradition is for women to find seven kinds of flowers (again with the sju sorters) to put under their pillow in return for a dream of your future husband. Seems a small price to pay for such intel; I'll let you know whether or not the pagan gods deliver.
Here's the one song/dance I'm going to learn so I can participate -- it's the only kind of pole dancing I'll be doing in this life.
Tomorrow is Midsommarafton (Midsummer Eve), and Saturday is Midsommardagen (Midsummer Day). I'm actually going to Dalarna, north of Stockholm, for Midsommarafton, which is the classic place to celebrate. I suppose it's like going to Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Year's -- touristy, sure, but classic. I'm preparing myself for 11 degree weather (that's 51 degrees Fahrenheit -- witch tit cold, appropriately), and rain mixed with sun, which is apparently the classic Swedish Midsummer weather.
I'm really excited! And I'm a little relieved that the sun will start to let up. Last night, I was up at 12:30am, and though it never got fully dark, the sun was actually starting to rise. I can't even tell you what a mind fuck that is. I almost couldn't go to bed.
Did you switch to a green banner in support of Iran?
FYI, 12:30 pm is noon. Think you meant 12:30am!
Hi Megan, Yes, fair elections for all!
Hi G. Herb, Yes, you see how it is fucking with my mind? Thanks for catching that, now changed!