In Sweden, the 'midsommar' celebrations are typically held outdoors, featuring a maypole and folk ... [+]
A festival with ancient roots, Midsummer is celebrated across Scandinavia and northern Europe. While good weather is never guaranteed, a long, light evening is. Outdoor celebrations including maypole dancing and seafood buffets are enjoyed in Sweden, while bonfires are a common sight throughout Denmark and Norway.
What to expect in Sweden
While the festival dates back to the pagan tradition of celebrating the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), Midsummer Day in both Finland and Sweden falls on the closest Saturday. However, the main celebrations are held the evening before on Midsummer Eve. Most workplaces are closed and Swedes working abroad often travel home for the events. Elsewhere in the region, celebrations are more local and low-key.
The number one requirement for a Swedish Midsummer celebration is a green, outdoor space. Erect a floral maypole—always with two circles in addition to the cross—and you’re almost ready to go.
An outdoor buffet of seafood is a common feature of the Swedish midsummer celebration.
The other important piece in the puzzle is of course the food. A smörgåsbord, of course, but one featuring a number of specific dishes. Several types of herring alone or in various sauces, boiled new potatoes and chives are all among the foods in season and/or traditional at this time of year. Expect other fish and seafood including gravlax (cured salmon) and plenty of shrimp.
Finally, no midsummer table is complete without fresh strawberries, often topping a cake, and plenty of aquavit to wash everything down. Swedes often refer to this as snaps, but don’t confuse that with schnapps. Aquavit is a distilled spirit flavored with dill or caraway—or both.
Beyond the food, expect floral wreaths, flowers in the hair, singing and dancing, and gradually increasing levels of intoxication throughout the evening.
What to expect elsewhere in Scandinavia
Midsummer is celebrated by some in Denmark and Norway but it’s not a national holiday in either country. Known as Sankthansaften (Saint John’s Eve) in Denmark and Norway, the celebrations take place on June 23, the day before Saint John’s Day. The celebration blends the historic pagan tradition with the Sankt Hans celebrations that commemorate John the Baptist.
Slinningsbalet, the annual midsummer bonfire in Ålesund, Norway, is one of the world's tallest ... [+]
Many Danes and Norwegians follow centuries-old traditions by creating and lighting bonfires. Some say it kept the lands fertile, while others were convinced it would keep away witches.
Bonfires are lit to this day in many coastal communities around the country. Many are topped with a witch doll, although this practise is increasingly frowned upon in some communities especially in Denmark.
Many of the bonfires are small, local events, but not all. In early June, Ålesund locals stack wooden pallets into a spire reaching well over 100 feet high. Huge numbers gather—many in their boats—to watch the bonfire blazing on the longest day of the year.
In 2016, Ålesund’s bonfire builders went a step further by breaking a world record. At 47.4 meters (155.5 feet), the bonfire created headlines around the world.
