Midsommar

Midsommar is a big deal in Sweden. There's the same sort of pressure to have a great midsommar as there is to have a really exciting, unforgettable New Year's every year (or maybe that's just my neurosis?). The city clears out as everyone goes "to the country" to celebrate with family and friends. Of course there's various events in the cities, but the real midsommar parties are on in yards tucked away in all corners of the country. Midsommar is a celebration of summer (go figure), but oddly is not celebrated on the solstice as one might think, but the Friday before. This year it was June 19. Anyway, the festivities involve dancing around a self-made maypole decked in greens and flowers, like this one at Trevor and Malin's house: The dancing is done to songs called things like "3 small frogs" and involves hopping around saying "oink oink" and the like. In other words, it's hardly somber.And then of course there's the food and booze. After pigging out on strawberries and cream at Trevor and Malin's in the afternoon, we went to Ulf's house (a colleague of Adrian's) for a delicious meal that included various pickled herrings, boiled potatoes, cheese tarts, fruit, crispbread, meatballs, and, of course, schnaps (note the bowl of mini bottles in the picture below). Ulf made one traditional dish that is done in a cake pan and is a layered concoction of crushed brown bread topped with sweet pickled herring, onions and sour cream. Kind of odd and tasty at once.
Ulf has a gorgeous big yard, and Ava, Julian and Priya spent most of the evening wandering around exploring the bushes and eating cheese doodles. After we left around 8pm I think the party went on until 3 or 4am and involved lots more schnaps, which I'm told is pretty standard for midsommar gatherings. It was great to be part of a really Swedish tradition and get the inside scoop, even if we were in bed before everyone else.