Midsummer in Sweden

Midsummer's Eve and Midsummer's Day are very important holidays in the Scandinavian culture and they fell on the 24th and 25th of June this year. A day before Midsummer's Eve, there was a Midsummer party at the Swedish Naval Base and we were thrilled to be able to join the locals in their celebrations.



The venue for the celebration was by the sea and was really beautiful. It is a Midsummer tradition to raise a maypole or midsommarstång which is a huge cross with two rings on each side covered with flowers and leaves. And after dinner, people will listen to traditional music and dance around the pole. We joined in the maypole dance. I didn't know any of the steps but was happy enough to just skip around the pole. Hehe.







We had traditional Swedish food - potatoes, soused herrings, snaps and strawberries for dinner. I had heard a lot about soused herrings, which is a dish most traditionally served during Midsummer, from my Swedish friends. On normal days, I would say no even to sashimi but hey it's MIDSUMMER, I just had to give this traditional dish a try.



Verdict: Ok, I don't like it. It tasted too 'raw'. I had to swallow it really quickly before I changed my mind. Hehe.



What better way to spend Midsummer than to celebrate the day with the locals and friends? How's Midsummer's Day like in your country? =D