Midsummer-Scandinavian Style

Hello everyone! How’s your summer going? Is it rocking and rolling or are you already bored?! Has your genealogy research been put on the back burner due to kids, pools, and flexible summer schedules? No worries! You just do you this summer! My summer is very much up and down with things that my daughter wants to do and things that I want to do. I’m trying to find a new routine that makes everyone, mostly me, happy. It’s a work in progress. By the time I get a satisfactory summer routine, it will be time for school again! Oh, well.

So let’s talk about a very important time of year for your beloved Scandinavian ancestors both old and young. The biggest summer festival for any Scandinavian is Midsummer! This festival falls around June 21st or 23rd depending on what country you’re celebrating it from. The festival marks the beginning of summer and celebrates the longest day of the year or the summer solstice. Today, it marks the beginning of many people’s summer vacations.

Sweden and Finland

In Sweden, the people begin celebrating on Friday June 21st or the Friday that falls between June 19th and 25th. People often begin the day by picking flowers and making wreaths to place on the maypole. The maypole is raised in an open spot and there’s a lot of singing and dancing around the pole.

Traditionally, the Swedes would make four kinds of pickled herring, boiled new potatoes with fresh dill, sour cream, and chives, and strawberries for a typical midsummer feast. They would also have beer and schnapps and sing drinking songs. Dancing is required at these festivals preferably with a lake in the background.

Originally, Midsummer was a festival of summer and fertility. People decorated their houses and farm tools with foliage and had maypoles as far back as the 1500’s. In the past girls ate salted porridge so that their future husbands would come give them water in their dreams that night. Today, girls and young women are supposed to pick seven different types of flowers and put them under their pillows. Then their future husbands will appear to them that night. Isn’t that a fun tradition?

Finland has many of the same traditions, but they add a sauna trip to their festivities. They have a long weekend at their summer homes and saunas and their tradition is the louder those parties are the better luck they will have in the next year.

Check out this website and this website if you want to know more about Swedish Midsummer and other holidays they celebrate. The first website has a really fun short video on Midsummer festivities. It’s cute!

Norway and Denmark

Norway and Denmark both celebrate Midsummer on June 23rd. They have more subdues celebrations compared to the Swedes and Finns. However, the Norwegians will host mock weddings between children or couples to symbolize new life. The Danes will throw twig and cloth effigy of a witch into their bonfires as a shout out to the olden days when the church would burn witches at the stake.

All of these countries hold huge bonfires and each country will have their local celebrations around them including food, beer, dancing, and singing.

Check out this website and this website for Norway and Denmark’s low-key celebrations.

Summary

Don’t forget to have fun with your genealogy! Make your own Midsummer celebrations in your family. What Midsummer traditions are still being kept in America from your Scandinavian immigrant ancestors. It’s a great time to make new traditions as you remember your ancestors.

Good luck and happy hunting!

Tiffany

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