Midsummer is a big holiday in Sweden, ranking up there with Christmas. It marks the end of the year for many, and the beginning of a long holiday period.
According to Nordic folklore, midsummer eve is filled with enchantment. It is the longest day of the year – when the sun hardly sets at all, and the sky is still bright and pink at midnight. A day without night. A blur of sunset and dawn.
It’s also when the most magical powers of Nature were believed to be encountered. For centuries, people have made it a point to collect medicinal plants around the summer solstice, because Nature was thought to be extra active and potent under the midnight sun. It was also a time for superstition…
- Pick seven types of flowers and put them under your pillow when you go to sleep – then you will dream about the the person you will spend your life with.
- Roll your naked body in the fresh midsummer dew – then you will have good health throughout the year.
- Take some grass out of your neighbor’s lawn and feed it to your animals – then your animals will have good health too.
This folklore goes back to a pre-industrialized Sweden, which wasn’t that long ago actually. In the 16th century, at least 90% of people in Sweden lived as peasants or farmers. And if you know anything about Sweden’s long, dark, frozen winters, you will understand why a good summer harvest was vital. There were no margins, no safety nets. If something happened to your crops or your animals in the summer, your family would starve during the winter.
People understood their dependence on Nature, and so Nature was celebrated, honored. Magic was created, experienced.
Yet when folk belief was at its peak, religion entered the scene. During the Reformation, religious institutions went to great lengths to eradicate all notions of magic, nature love, etc. Everything shifted from Mother Earth to Father God. People’s dependence and relationship had to be with Jesus, not Nature. Acts of superstition were replaced with acts of prayer. Ceremonies went from something folksy and down-to-earth to something inscrutable, heavenly. And the midsummer celebration itself became associated with the day of St. John the Baptist, or St. John’s Eve, and that’s now history as we know it.
But the magic of midsummer lives on here, as do folk traditions. I think it says something about the strength of the people, who weren’t as docile and as desperate as we’ve been led to believe. And now that Swedish society is secularized, traditions like midsummer gain even more importance.
Unfortunately we don’t know much about Swedish midsummer before the 15th century. Many want to trace our traditions back to pagan times, perhaps to Vikings. But cultural institutions say that don’t have enough information. Though it’s not unlikely given that many other cultures can trace summer solstice celebrations back very, very far – even in neighboring Denmark. We will look at a few of the ancient traditions as we discuss some ways you can celebrate, as well as why you’d want to celebrate at all!
Swedish midsommar lives on
Today’s Swedish midsummer celebrations typically involve going out into nature – to a home in the countryside, to a large park or beach, or just somewhere outside of cramped city conditions.
It’s also a social holiday! Unlike Christmas and Easter which tend to be family-centric events, midsummer festivities can unite whole communities. Crowns of wild plants or flowers are made and worn on the head. A midsummer pole is constructed, erected.
There is a big meal of classic Swedish foods – herring, smoked fish, potatoes, meatballs, and most iconically, a strawberry and cream dessert of some sort. There is usually an elderflower spiked drink too, and schnaps.
There is a lot of singing and dancing. Silly songs, silly dances. It’s a fun, social, light-spirited occasion.
5 ways you can celebrate summer solstice anywhere
You may not live as far north as we do, and therefore may not have a day without night. And it probably isn’t a national holiday if you aren’t in Sweden. But perhaps you’d still like to celebrate as our ancestors did (read more good reasons below)!
So here are a few simple ways you can celebrate from anywhere…
1 – Make a midsummer crown (midsommarkrans)
This is probably my favorite part of Swedish midsummer! I love that it’s done purely for joy. I love how it celebrates the fecundity of Nature. I love wrapping my body, or in this case, my head with a bit of wildness. I love that it’s something for all ages and all genders.
It can be done properly, or a bit more wildly.
Here’s how to make it… Go outside and pick some beautiful flowers or leaves. Take them home and trim their stalks off to about 5-6 cm.
To make the headband part, you can use some flexible twigs or reeds. You can use string. You can also use floral wire. Anything that can be tied into the shape of a circle and fitted to your head will work. I usually use thin twigs or long stalks. And don’t forget to measure it on your head before cutting your material! There’s no greater disappointment than creating a dreamy crown of flowers and then discovering that it doesn’t even fit your head.
Once you have your headband made, start attaching your flowers/leaves. I do this by making mini bouquets of about 5-6 flowers and then attach them to my headband. It’s much like making a wreath. To attach them, you can use floral wire. You can use jute string. You can even use nettle fibers or another type of cordage. I’ve used nettle cordage before when out in nature and no modern supplies available.
Keep going around attaching flowers and leaves until you’re pleased with the result. Try it on and adjust as needed. And then wear that crown like the queen or king, prince or princess that you are!
If you’re a visual learner, here is a good youtube tutorial in Sweden, and here’s another in English.
2 – Forage some of your favorite plants and herbs, entertaining the notion that they may contain extra potent properties now when the earth is so lively and fertile. Grab your prettiest basket and fill it with your favorite herbs, flowers or plants.
Elderflowers are a must here! Other great ones include St. John’s Wort, Yarrow, Stinging Nettles, Fern, Wild Roses, Mugwort, Wild Lavender, Meadowsweet, Wild Chamomile, Tansy.
What can you do with them? Ah so many things!
Separate them in bunches and tie them up with simple string, hanging upside down to dry out. Once dry, you can infuse them in oil (learn how here), use them in your cooking, preserve them for winter, store them for making teas, or making medicines, or making soaps.
You can also use them fresh. Make a beautiful bouquet in your home. Or just bathe in them, literally – just make sure they’re bath friendly, which means no stinging nettles or anything else that will irritate the skin.
If you’re into natural plant dyeing, then that’s another great use for many active high-summer plants like Nettles, Tansy, Cow Parsley, etc.
Get to know the plants that grow in your area, learn what they offer.
If you want specific help, reach out to us and we will do our best to help you find ways to enjoy nature.
3 – With songs and/or storytelling. Maybe some dancing too. This seems to be part of solstice celebrations all over the world, in all stages of human society. Native Americans had sundances. As did Ancient Greeks. In Bulgaria, they apparently dance on glowing embers? In Scotland and Ireland, there is a rich history of dancing and storytelling at summer solstice gatherings, some with rich ancient Celtic history.
In Sweden, we create a maypole with tree branches, leaves and flowers. We stand it up in the ground and dance around it, holding hands. Nowadays we also play drinking games, taking a shot of schnaps after every song. For a list of classic midsummer songs, check here.
Stories and songs bring people and land closer together.
Even if you’re alone somewhere, standing under a midsummer sky – whether its light pink or filled with stars – a lyric may whisper through the thinness and quietness of the night. It, too, can connect you with people and the land. It can be shared later, or inwardly explored throughout the coming year.
4 – Light a fire. Summer is associated with the element of Fire, as it the season with the most light and warmth – things which energize us.
In Denmark, midsummer celebrations take place around bonfires. Same in Estonia and other places around Europe. The tradition goes back to pagan times, to the burning of evil, and to the hope for good luck.
We don’t really light fires, other than the BBQ grill perhaps, here in Sweden, perhaps because we’re far enough north to have the sun with us all night long. But if you live someplace where the sun sets, consider sitting around a campfire. Or just light a candle. Reflect on the fire within you as well – what lights you up? Where do you want to put your energy in the near future?
5 – Prepare and enjoy a midsummer meal in good company. While personal reflection is a wonderful thing to do, midsummer is traditionally a social event. It’s about coming together and enjoy simple pleasures of a bountiful harvest, good community, laughter and joy.
Bonus points for incorporating freshly harvested foods into your meal. Get them from your garden, or a local farm, or from the wild!
Swedish midsummer tables are filled with the fresh things we have available this time of year. Fresh potatoes is a highlight, and one of my best memories is a midsummer party I attended many years ago. The host put a huge bag of freshly-dug, dirty potatoes on the table, as well as a big bucket of water and several brushes. We all stood around the table and scrubbed potatoes together. This really turned something as humble as a potato into something special. Truly the best potatoes I’ve ever eaten.
While some of us scrubbed potatoes, others went out picking wildflowers for the table. Someone found stinging nettles and we turned it into a pesto (very good on fresh potatoes). We also foraged for plants to make our midsummer crowns. There were a lot of trips to the surrounding forest being made that day!
Consider where you are in the world and what Nature offers you right now. Take those raw materials and create a meaningful, memorable meal. With good people and drinks of course.
Why Celebrate At All?
Summer solstice is a time of renewal. It is about growth. Nature is saying this all around us, as the earth comes back to life and shoots up wildly in all directions.
It’s a great time mid-year to observe where we are, where we want to go. To acknowledge how we’ve grown so far, and how we still need to continue growing. And it’s a time to give thanks for everything Nature gives us. Not only food and medicine, but life itself.
I’ve talked about the importance of ritual before here. It’s not something we talk about much nowadays. For many, it brings to mind outdated social or religious ceremonies. But rituals can be much more than that. And they can be simple, yet profound ways of bringing connection, stability and happiness.
Science now recognizes them as rational behavior, due to how effective they are. Rituals help define our life experience and even our identity, both individually and collectively. They attune us to what matters. They help us deal with the ups and downs of life by providing some anchors and greatly improving our quality of life. And best of all, self-awareness leads to a greater awareness of others. When we are operating from a place of attention and connection, it extends to those beyond us.
Your rituals may not be as mysterious as picking 7 kinds of flowers and putting them under your pillow so that you can dream about your future spouse. Or maybe they will be! Your call.
Speaking of happiness… another reason to celebrate is because you might actually be the happiest today than you’ll be all year! And yes it is because of the extra sunlight we get during summer solstice. As it turns out, the length of daylight is tied to our general level of happiness and mental well-being.
Lastly, the magic. The pure magic of midsummer. Our ancient ancestors were deeply connected to the summer solstice, and it can be so magical still.
Our summer spotify playlist kicks off with a song titled “Midnight Sun” by Calexico and Iron & Wine that’s full of folklore and magic. So I’ll leave you now with the lyrics.
They say the king of birds
And the queen of hearts
Wore each other’s keys
Before they called the wedding off
And all the feathers rained down
And the town fell asleep
Pulling on the poems
For the midnight sun
Pulling on the poems
For the midnight sun
Yeah she shook the ground
With every breath
Tossed his troubles aside
Made a shrine of every mess
Well a woman appeared
With a guillotine smile
She handed him a rose
Then he turned to stone
She handed him a rose
And he turned to stone
Then they laid him in the creek
Where the river ran dry
To the mouth of wisdom
And the end of doubt
Then the woman reappeared
With a blank spread smile
Took him by the rose
Then he turned to stone
Yeah, she handed him a rose
Left him all alone
Well they lifted the stone
Then they mapped the stars
Brought back the keys
And unlocked their hearts
And the birds returned
With songs in their eyes
With maps to the world
Never seen
Maps to the world
Never seen
_________
Featured title image is sol y hojas de palmera by Joan Miró, 1950
