Midsommar

Dancing around the Midsummer Pole
Originally uploaded by tabita.

Ok - this is a little after the fact, but I thought I'd devote one post to this old, old Swedish holiday. It has its roots in pagan fertility rituals and celebrates the longest day of the year, which is Sweden is anywhere from 20 to 24 hours. These days, Swedes dress up, make wreaths, eat traditional food such as pickled herring and new potatoes, and dance around the midsummer pole on midsummer's eve.

We spent midsummer by hanging with my brother David and his wife Emily and daughter Ester. We went for a picnic in a park in their hometown, Örebro, where Todd and Rebecka also checked out the Örebro Castle. Later on, we met my parents and one of my aunts with family for the traditional herring dinner. I managed to stomach one of the slimey pieces (not a big fan). After dinner, it was time to dance around the pole. Rebecka and I danced our hearts out for about 35 minutes with loads of other people.

The rest of the evening contained ice cream, "kvällsmat" (evening meal), chineese checkers, and fun in general.

It was an excellent midsommar.