Swedish Midsummer
Yesterday, we celebrated Midsummer here in Sweden. Of all the holidays of the year, Midsummer is the one I like the most. It's a beautiful time of the year, and it's something different when it's mostly celebrated outdoors (compared to, for example, Christmas and New Year).
In our family, it has been a tradition in recent years to celebrate it in Vaxholm, where my mother grew up. It's a wonderful place to celebrate, really the epitome of Swedish Midsummer, and very popular.
On the dining table, boiled potatoes and herring, among many other things, are a given. A schnapps or two is also usually served with the food. For dessert, strawberry cake is a must.
Then it's time for the central part of Midsummer: the Midsummer Pole. It is decorated with flowers and birch branches before being raised. Then there's dancing around it — an element where some activities may seem strange to an outsider, like the “Little Frogs” dance, for example.