What is Midsommar Gardens?
Midsommar, or midsummer, is the first day of summer. In Sweden, Midsommar’s Eve is one of the most important days of the year. Not only is it the longest day of the year, but it is widely considered to be a magical night! Plants acquire mystical healing properties, and if you pick seven different kinds of flowers on your way home from your Midsommar celebration and place them under your pillow, you are said to dream of your one true love.
It is also an opportunity to gather with friends and family to eat, drink, and celebrate the longest, lightest day of the year. The maypole is raised and decorated with flowers and greenery, and people of all ages play “Små grodorna,” a dancing game during which you hop around the maypole while singing about little frogs. The menu consists of a smörgåsbord of treats, including smoked salmon, pickled herring, boiled potatoes with dill and crème fresh, fresh baked breads and pastries, elderberry cocktails, homemade schnapps, and to finish it off, a Midsommar cake! What’s not to love about that?