A Guide to Swedish Midsummer: Food, Flowers & Festivities

This Friday marks one of the biggest days on the Swedish calendar – Midsummer's Eve – and it's one of my absolute favourite celebrations of the year.

Rooted in ancient pagan traditions, the Swedish Midsummer is a joyful celebration of light, nature, and the arrival of summer. For centuries, Swedes have gathered to mark the longest day of the year with music, dancing, and feasting – a tradition that remains deeply cherished to this day.

If you're in Sweden over Midsummer, you’ll notice the city streets are deserted as many make their way to a corner of the countryside to dance around the maypole with wildflowers in their hair, and then tuck into a feast of pickled herring, new potatoes, and sweet strawberries – all under the glow of the summer solstice.

Fancy holding a mini celebration at home? Here are the key ingredients...

Forget perfect floral arrangements – Midsummer is all about embracing nature’s wild beauty. It’s customary to head out and gather wildflowers from the hedgerows and meadows, using them to decorate the Midsummer pole, dress the table, and weave into carefree flower crowns.

It wouldn’t be Midsummer without a flower or two in your hair – or, if you want to go all out like the Swedes, why not weave yourself a flower crown? There are plenty of great YouTube tutorials to guide you through it.

A key moment during Midsummer celebrations is dancing around the maypole while singing traditional songs – the most famous of which involves hopping like a frog (yes, really). It’s tradition for villagers to gather and decorate the maypole together with foliage and wildflowers before the dancing begins.

Now, I’d be seriously impressed if you put up a four-metre maypole in your garden and started jumping around like a frog – though I’m sure your neighbours would be very curious about what was going on! But if you'd like to give a subtle nod to the tradition, why not make a miniature version as a table centrepiece?

Tuck into a relaxed feast of pickled herring, new potatoes with dill, gravlax, crispbread, Västerbotten cheese, and a big bowl of fresh strawberries with cream. Wash it all down with elderflower cordial, cold beer, or a shot of schnapps – and don’t forget to sing a few songs to bring a little Midsummer cheer!

It may be summer, but you never quite know what the Nordic weather gods have in store. Even so, it’s customary to celebrate outdoors, come rain or shine – after all, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. If you’re planning to do the same, make sure to have a few blankets at the ready!

In some parts of Sweden, the sun doesn’t set at all over Midsummer – but even so, candles and lanterns look especially beautiful twinkling at dusk. They add a touch of warmth and atmosphere to the celebrations, helping you carry on the revelry well into the small hours.




I hope these ideas have given you a little inspiration to join in a Swedish Midsummer’s Eve celebration from afar. Or perhaps you have your own Midsummer traditions – if so, I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Looking for more Midsummer inspiration? If so, be sure to check out these posts:

5 steps to hosting a Swedish midsummer
A short and pretty guide to celebrating midsummer
A pretty midsummer table setting

We’ll be celebrating with 24 friends up at our summer cottage this Friday – it’s going to be so much fun, but there’s a lot to prepare! I’m afraid that also means I won’t be posting on Friday (but perhaps you’ll be celebrating Midsummer too?).

So, I’ll take this chance to wish you a wonderful rest of the week – and Glad Midsommar!

Niki x

 


Credits: 1.vogue portugal 2. katyaklema 3. Larissa Miller 4. Jennifer Wohrle 5.The New Republic 6.Wilde House 7. Wild Free Paper 8. Camille styles 9. Lipa Edet 10. Olga Zdyarskaya

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Glad Midsommar! - And a Pretty Summer Table Setting

This Friday marks Midsummer's Eve, the most significant day in the Swedish calendar. The celebrations begin with the crafting of floral headdresses, followed by dancing around the Maypole, and culminate in a gathering with fun garden games. I've always cherished Swedish Midsummer's Eve – a joyful celebration of light and nature spent with loved ones, accompanied by plenty of Aquavit and singing! Emma Johansson's charming photographs, where even the glasses wear flower crowns, beautifully capture the spirit of the day.

If you'd like to join the festivities, here are some past posts for inspiration: 

A short and pretty guide to celebrating midsummer

6 simple foraged flower displays for Midsummer

5 simple steps to hosting midsummer

A mini guide for celebrating midsummer

Single? Don't forget to pick seven different wildflowers and lay them under your pillow on Midsummer's Eve. Swedish legend has it that you'll dream of the person you are going to marry! 

Glad midsommar! 

Niki

PS I'll be taking a short break over Midsummer - back on Monday! 

Photography: Emma Johansson, shared with kind permission

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5 Ways To Celebrate Midsummer's Eve Like a Swede

This Friday it's arguably the biggest event in the Swedish calendar: Midsummer's Eve! It's a magical day includes dancing around a pole with flowers in your hair and a delicious afternoon meal alfresco with friends and family. 

Why not join in the celebrations from afar? Here are five ways how: 

1. Make a floral crown for your hair 

2. Build a small 'midsommarstång' (midsummer pole) to put up in your garden like this one and dance around it! 

2. Invite family and friends over and dine outside no matter the weather and tuck into herring, salmon, some form of quiche, new potatoes, washed down with beer. Follow with deliciously ripe strawberries. 

3. Sing songs and down a shot of Akvavit with a resounding 'SKÅL!' (cheers). 

4. Play Kubb! 

5. If you're single, place seven different wildflowers under your pillow before you go to sleep and you'll dream of the man you are going to marry! 

Glad Midsommar! 

I'll be back again on Monday :)

Niki

This beautiful photograph is by Emily Slotte

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A Beautiful Midsummer's Eve Table

On Friday it's time for one of the biggest celebrations in Sweden - Midsummer's Eve. It's an event so entrenched in the Swedish culture that it's considered as important as Christmas. It's become my favourite celebration of the year. Put simply, it's magical. Think crowns weaved from wildflowers, dancing around a maypole and playing silly games. Tables are laden with a spread of pickled herrings, new potatoes, quiches, boiled eggs, sour cream, dill, salmon, strawberries, and crisp bread, washed down with beer and schnapps. It's a day spent outdoors no matter the weather (thankfully it looks like the sun will be shining on Friday!) and a time for friends and families to come together and chat and sing and dance under the midnight sun. 

Why not join the celebrations from afar? Here's a beautiful Midsummer tablescape by Linnea on the Swedish island of Gotland (who's beautiful home I featured recently) to inspire you! 

So pretty! 

Looking to join in the celebrations? Here are 5 simple steps for hosting a Swedish midsummer. 

Single? Swedish tradition says if you pluck 7 different wild flowers and lay them under your pillow on Midsummers Eve, you'll dream of your true love! 

Glad midsommar! 

Niki

PS since I will be busy doing preparations for the big day on Friday, there'll be no post tomorrow. I look forward to blogging again on Monday. Vi ses!

Photography: @leintosinspiration - shared with kind permission.

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Pretty Summer Touches in an Idyllic Swedish cottage

You might recognise the lovely home of Anna-Maria Blomqvist from this wintery tour. But Swedish homes can look completely different in summertime (who knows, I'm might even come back to this one in the Autumn too!). There's something special about the light, the flowers and outdoor space that make cottages feel extra special at this time of year. Anna-Maria's 19th century cottage in Sigtuna - known for having Sweden's oldest high street, is particularly idyllic in summertime. I hope this tour gives a few ideas for your own home and outdoor living space! 

Oh so lovely! We've been having great weather lately here in Sweden too so I can imagine the family have been making good use of their garden! 

I hope I haven't jinxed it now.... eeeek!

Wishing you all a lovely, sunny start to the week.

Niki

Photography: Anna-Maria Blomqvist

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Glad Midsommar!

The summer solstice was on Monday, but in Sweden, Midsummer is always celebrated on the Friday - so as I pack up and get ready to wander meadows in search of wild flowers, I wanted to stop by and wish you all a lovely Midsummer's Eve! May the sun shine (that would be a first!) and your flowers stay bright! 

Looking to celebrate? See 5 ways to celebrate Midsummer like a Swede. And find the recipe for that luscious looking strawberry and elderflower chiffon cake here. 

I'll be back on Monday with a Scandi-inspired tour. See you then! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Credits: 

1. Forest Bound

2. Honestly Yum

3. IKEA

4. Domino magazine

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5 Simple Steps To Hosting A Swedish Midsummer

Tomorrow is Midsummer's Eve, one of the most important dates in the Swedish calendar and second only to Jul (Christmas). Up and down the country, our Nordic friends are flocking to Systembolaget (the state-owned off-licence) to pick up beer and schnapps before it closes for the holidays. Midsummer celebrations usually take place in the countryside so tomorrow the city streets will be deserted. Sadly, this year dancing like 'frogs' (long story) around a maypole on the village green won't be on the agenda. But this won't stop the revelry! Inte alls! Famous for experiencing all four seasons in one day, nothing yet nothing gets in the way of raising a glass (or two) to the summer solstice! Devoted to eating, drinking, dancing and other assorted pagan rituals, Swedish midsummer has been around since the 1500s. Why not channel the swedes and hold your own midsummer celebration? As with all things Scandinavian, its super simple and doesn't require a lot of effort. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Midsommarkrans (Midsummer crown):  In my humble opinion, the most beautiful floral crowns  are handmade with whatever you have to hand from nearby meadows or hedgerows. Above, Elsa Billgren is in the process of creating a daisy crown on the island Gotland - and below are a few snaps of my daughters and I gathering wildflowers last year near our summer cottage. Wilted, bent and some very far from perfect, but oh so pretty all the same! Here's a simple tutorial on how to create a floral crown. 

 2. Set a simple table: the midsummer table is rustic and understated. Think wildflowers, candles for when the revelry continues well into the early hours and a spot for everyone - young and old and even furry friends - at the table.

It wouldn't be midsummer in Sweden without a down pour - so anoraks are a must! But if the weather really is THAT bad, it might be time to reluctantly move the festivities indoors, in which case, it's all about bringing the summer in! 

3: The drinks: Think refreshing ice cold water infused with elderflower, cucumber and lemon, Swedish craft beers and of course, a 'nubbe' of akvavit - taken with a nubbevisa (akvavit song). 

4. The midsummer feast! Dine on sill (pickled herring), boiled new potatoes with dill and a variety of salmon before tucking into some deliciously sweet, juicy summer strawberries (FYI the recipe for the layered strawberry cake can be found over at Honestly Yum). 

5. Single? According to Swedish tradition, pluck seven types of flowers and place them under your pillow. You'll dream of your future husband or wife! 

Wishing you a 'glad midsummer'!

See you Monday!

Niki

Photography:
1. Emily Slotte 2. Elsa Billgren 3-5 My Scandinavian Home 6, Nåde studio, 7&8 Homespo, 9 Abby Mitchell Events, 10 Wedding Chicks  11 & 12 - Honestly Yum.

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