Swedish midsummer's eve celebration is a somewhat strange celebration that predates the Christian era and is celebrated all around Scandinavia in different ways. Believed to ensure a successful harvest and celebrate the shortest night of the year. A fun celebration especially beloved by children, with loads of activities, great food and strong drinks for the adults.
What is Midsummer's eve?
Midsummer eve is originally a celebration of the shortest night of the year and is likely related to ancient fertility practices and ceremonies performed to ensure a successful harvest. This holiday always occurs on a Friday, between the dates of the 19 and 25th of June and is celebrated in different ways and under different names depending on the Scandinavian country.
How is Midsummer's eve celebrated?
Even though Sweden is Protestant Christianity, it kept its Midsummer's eve celebration and the slightly strange customs and activities. Midsummer Eve in Sweden is associated with a tradition, such as flower wreaths, birch leaf decorations, dancing around the flower-covered phallus symbol-pole jumping like frogs and singing about frogs, (this is mainly done by the children).
Food and drink such as pickled herring, barbequing meet and a buffet of food items and eating lots of fresh potatoes, strawberries and strawberry cakes. A 38 % alcoholic shot normally made out of vodka, or similar types of potatoes-based booze, with added herbs, called ”Nubbe” is also consumed in great amounts by the adults. Check out our 2 Easy Swedish snaps recipes in the link below.
There is also a lot of superstition regarding midsummer and traditions related to that. Such as jumping over seven ”gärdsgårdar” or fences and picking seven kinds of flowers to put under the pillow to make you dream about the man you are supposed to marry.
Traditional food and drinks
There are some jokes about how Swedes celebrate all holidays with the same traditional food and drinks in equally bad weather of 8 degrees Celcius and rain in the summer as in the winter. And there is some truth to this even if it is a bit exaggerated.
Every Swedish holiday is celebrated with a buffet, traditionally eaten as a first, second and third-course meal. The first course known as ”Silltallrik” with translates to a Pickled herring plate is a buffet of cold cuts, pates, eggs and fish dishes with pickled herring and gravad lax.
The second course on the buffet is made up of meats, ham, sausages called ”Prinskorv” Swedish meatballs, different types of cabbage and kale as well as potato dishes.
The difference between Christmas, easter and midsummer's eve celebrations is the type of herring, the type of potato dish and the dessert. The rest is pretty much the same, with some changes to barbequing of the meats if the weather in the summer is good enough.
What food is eaten at a midsummer's eve celebration?
If you like to make a traditional midsummer eve buffet this is what you need to make it a success. Some other elements can be added, but this is the most basic version or a must-have on the buffet:
1. Pickled herring preferably ”Matjesill”
2. New potatoes or baby potatoes boiled with dill
3. Gräddfil, a type of sour cream often topped with chives
4. Boiled eggs made into halves, topped with ether Mayonnaise, Kalles Kaviar, caviar or shrimp
5. Snaps, a strong shot of flavoured boose, about 38 percentage
6. Strawberries, either with whipped cream, ice cream or as a strawberry cake.
What other types of foods could you add to the midsummer eve buffet?
There are a lot of extra side dishes that differ from one part of the country to another. Vegetarian and vegan dishes can also be added. Here are some of the most common ones:
1. Swedish köttbullar, as they are without any gravy
2. Different types of meats preferably barbequed meats
3. Prinskorv, a type of small sausages
4. Potatoe salad creamy or vegan
5. Bread, often Knäckebröd a hard bread
6. Cold cuts, ham, pate and cheeses
7. Summer salads
8. Dessert made out of fruits or berries
9. Eal, baked, smoked or boiled
10. Shrimp toast, or toast with Skagenröra, or creamy salmon filling
Do you want to celebrate Midsommer's eve?
Visit Sweden in the summer and enjoy the local culture by celebrating Midsummer's eve or make a Silltallrik and Snaps at home. Try out our recipes for Swedish Nubbe and invite friends and family over for a true Swedish celebration.
