MidSummer Sights & Songs
A Photo & Video Essay
It would be cheating to have an ultra short post about MidSummer and not share the pictures.
So here they are ——
Come MidSummer, Swedes take out their traditional outfits, and get them ready for the celebrations. Every town has several cultural programs organised by the state. Each event is open to the public. Mood is often created by people dressed in traditional clothing, playing folk music, wearing flowers in their hair.
Everyone talks of darkness in Scandinavia, but it is the light that we should talk about.
Light and dark in Sweden can be understood as nature’s dimmer knob. It is not just the quantity of light, but also the quality of light that varies through the year. Summers are bright, and golden.
Sometimes unbearably bright.
Daylight in winters is not only short-lived but also grey, and without lustre.
No wonder MidSummer is associated with magic, dreams and love.
Having said that, these pictures were taken in Karlstad, Sweden, otherwise known as the sun city. It is one of the towns that gets maximum sunlight in Sweden.
This time we chose to attend the celebrations at Alters Herrgård (Manor). Alster is a small locality with 586 inhabitants, right outside of Karlstad.
There is a lake by the same name in town. This the house where Gustav Fröding, the beloved poet from Karlstad, was born. The house has now been turned into a tourist attraction, with a restaurant, and a workshop that sells handmade goods.
Swedish flag is blue and yellow. Traditional outfits in those colors are available for purchase. It’s common to see young damsels wearing these around town during midsummer celebrations.
Although you can find traditional clothes in all colors, blue and yellow have often used at tourist places. Swedish National day is June 6, and midsummer falls on the third Friday of the month, which is a national holiday. These blue and yellow outfits are a common sight on both those days.
These pictures were taken at Alster Herrgà rd’s gift shop.
Something that caught my attention in the gift shop was this fine looking tape.
Teburk, can mean a tea pot or tea can. But here it refers to this decorative tape that some people still like to use in their homes. They can be used in kitchen or other rooms on shelves. Quite common in the late 1800-early 1900s, they were originally handmade with thread or fine yarn. In our convenience favouring world—they are now made of paper or plastic.
Come midsummer, everyone heads with family and picnic baskets to their chosen spot for celebration.
Maypoles are real. A friend from the UK said that he thought they existed just in picture books. But they are real, and you can find many maypoles in town on midsummer.
You can also buy miniatures in stores. Just like miniature Christmas trees, maypoles can be made of plastic, metal, or wood. Some are adorned with ribbons and plastic flowers. Blue and yellow ribbons are always added for a touch of Sweden.
What else shall people do with fresh flowers that make the summer so fragrant? Wreaths are woven, and worn, by people of all ages and both genders.
No one forgets the fragrance of flowers that bloomed in our childhood.
Each wreath is unique, some times matching the outfit one is wearing, other times wearing colors that are quite different from the outfit.
It was little Wally’s first midsummer and Mamma made sure they matched!! Mother and son look like angels, as the sun shines behind them.
Why should Mr Fröding be without a wreath? After all he is the host.
White becomes the default choice for midsummer celebrations. There is something magical about seeing young damsels dressed in white, matching the silvery-golden sunshine.
Thanks to image saturated digital age, the young are not afraid of saying, ‘Yeah, go ahead, use my image. No worries.’ These two beauties obliged me and smiled at my camera!
Clara, was the lead singer for the day. She was hired by the Kommun (municipality) to be our nightingale. She sang some much loved Swedish songs, including ‘Ute i var..’ and Värmland’s anthem, ‘Ack Värmland1’. At the end of the program, I walked up to her to personally thank for her melodious and soulful singing. (Click on CC for subtitles.)
All the dancers who put up a great show for us.
One sad thing that I have noticed is that in small towns it is usually older people who dance. However, in the big cities with high tourism, young people are hired to dance.
Regardless, the colourful outfits are always cheerful to look at.
One interesting aspect that I saw for the first time was a show of power between two men. Like a mock duel. Only there was music in the background, even though the men kept a straight face. It was a delight. Apparently, they were fighting over a maiden. This fifteen minute film showing midsummer fun and frolic premieres next week. Watch it with me if you can, or watch it after it is made public on youtube the same day. July 29, 2023. 3:30 PM Swedish time.
And there is the famous frog dance, that talks about how frogs and tadpoles are out now….
The song is very popular and the best part is grandparents singing and dancing with their grandchildren! (You can watch some of an older video linked below. The song is sung and enacted every year, with different players in each town, creating special memories for families and communities.)
On the years when it is sunny and not rainy on the midsummer day, it is the best picnic outing for families. There’s singing, dancing, eating, & merry making!
And after its all done, families find a shady tree to sit under, chat and catch up with extended family and friends whom they may not have seen since Christmas.
What’s on the menu, at the restaurant? Here’s the translation for first four from the top, and the last entry, which is a much loved speciality.
A fillet of Pork, with choron sauce, vegetables and roasted potatoes. A variant of béarnaise sauce, Choron sauce is flavoured with red wine vinegar and tomato puree and goes well with grilled food.
Hake fillet, with white wine sauce and boiled potatoes.
Vegan burger with bread and baked potatoes.
Baked potatoes and crab stir fry.
Pancakes with Jam and cream. Swedes love this!
Swedish food, is generally quite flavourful. I have also witnessed it getting much better at providing vegetarian and vegan options in the last few years.
Two buildings in the manor are dedicated to art and artisans. Sweden, a small country has some very wise policies in place. One is to uphold local art. All the government buildings have a small budget allotted to use local artists when it comes to decorating and furnishing the building.
Alter’s manor has one building that has been turned into a gift shop. Another one sells only handmade goods by local artists.
Every single object in the above two pictures is handmade. Karlstad is known for its tapestry and weaves, often presented to staff at Christmas and at farewells.
Little dishes in the shape of Värmland. Souvenirs to take home.
Herr Gustav Fröding’s face on buttons!
With pansies and daisies around, midsummer is a time to be light and happy!!
The following is an old video, from the first time I attended a real midsummer celebration. At least watch the last two minutes, that have a young Swedish songstress’s mesmerising voice to bring some ‘essence’ of midsummer. And at 4:20 you can see the frog dance.
Enjoy, and I wish you all a perpetual midsummer!
Karlstad is a town in the province of Värmland.