| Midsummer's Eve is almost like a holy day for | | | | A lot of drinks are usually consumed as well. Beer |
| Swedish people. People look forward to it and plan | | | | is the preferred choice of the day together with |
| the party surrounding it sometimes months ahead. | | | | as many different flavored kinds of snaps as |
| Because the winters in Sweden can be very cold | | | | possible. Many Swedes choose to flavor their own |
| and especially dark - in some places the sun never | | | | snaps from old traditional recipes. The most |
| rises at all for several months - Midsummer is just | | | | common spices that are used are cumin, fennel, |
| as much a celebration of the sun and the light | | | | elderberry, different fruits and aniseed, not |
| returning as the summer itself. | | | | necessarily all together at the same time |
| Midsummer always coincides with the summer | | | | however. |
| solstice every year. This means the day of the | | | | Dancing and games are also part of the |
| year with the most day light hours and therefore | | | | celebrations. A Midsummer's pole is usually raised |
| also the shortest night. For people living in the | | | | in a local meadow or field for people to |
| northern hemisphere this always happens around | | | | congregate around after lunch time. The pole is |
| the twenty first of June depending on leap years | | | | like a large cross dressed in green brushwood |
| and so forth. Above the Arctic Circle the sun | | | | with two large rings hanging on either side of the |
| never sets at all and it is day twenty four hours a | | | | horizontal part of the cross. Many |
| day. Below the Arctic Circle the sun does set, | | | | feminist-oriented people often complain that this is |
| however, but very late and not very low. As a | | | | an old phallus symbol but in reality it is a Christian |
| result the nights being very short and dim rather | | | | symbol initially from Germany dating back over a |
| than dark; a perfect opportunity to party would | | | | thousand years. Grownups and children alike |
| not you say? | | | | perform classic dances around the pole |
| Midsummer's Eve always comes on a Friday | | | | accompanied by Swedish folk music band with |
| between June twentieth and June twenty sixth. | | | | violins and accordions. If you want a taste you |
| Most people only work half a day on this day, as | | | | can listen to Peter Stormare's partner in the |
| Midsummer's day is a holiday according to the | | | | movie Minority Report. |
| Swedish calendar. | | | | On a more serious note, this is one of the |
| A classic Swedish Midsummer celebration includes | | | | Swedish police's busiest day and night of the year. |
| eating lunch outside in the sun - hopefully. Classic | | | | Plenty of minors get way too drunk and a lot of |
| dishes are many different flavors of pickled | | | | accidents tend to happen. Because many people |
| herring together with sour cream, chive, and red | | | | celebrate Midsummer in the Swedish archipelago |
| onions, newly picked Swedish potatoes that are | | | | there are always drowning accidents and things of |
| served boiled and strawberries with milk for | | | | this unfortunate nature that occur every year. |
| desert. | | | | |