Going north, in mid-June, the sun doesn’t set at all.
On June 21st, the sun doesn’t set at all in the north of Sweden. On this second largest holiday, friends and families abandon the cities to come together in the countryside to celebrate Midsummer with flower wreaths, maypole, games, dances, and, of course, good food.
If you are new to these traditions, discover traditional meals and enjoy the funny videos at the end of this post.
Beautiful Countryside
Everybody in Sweden leaves for the countryside to celebrate Midsummer. The celebrations start always on Friday.
A popular destination is an archipelago close to Stockholm. Do you plan a trip for Midsummer next year? Check out this travel destination.
Pickled Herring Midsummer Tradition
The traditional dish for Midsummer celebrations is pickled herring with new potatoes. You can make it easily at home with prepared pickled herring.
Do you have an Ikea store in your area? They have a variety of pickled herring. Serve it with new potatoes boiled in the skin, some butter, sliced onions, and fresh chopped dill and chives.
Our tip: For dessert, serve fresh strawberries with freshly ground black pepper.
More Swedish Classics
Köttbullar, the national dish of Sweden.
Surprisingly, Sweden revealed Turkey as its origin. In the 18th century, King Charles XII fell in love with Turkish meatballs and introduced them to his home country.
It looks like a cake with a savory decoration. The inside is a layered sandwich filled with everything you can imagine as long as you combine it with mayonnaise and eggs on sandwich bread. This recipe is one easy version. You can also make four single “cupcakes” instead of one large cake. Popular are different fillings for each layer and rich decorations.
Swedish Midsummer Fun
The Small Frogs
A very popular funny ring dance is ‘The small frogs’. Children and adults imitate frogs, hopping around the maypole while singing the classic song. Try it yourself at home with this instruction video: