Midsummer is regarded as the most important event in the Scandi calendar. Traditionally it commemorates the longest day of the year and, for many Swedes, it signals the start of their five (yes, five) week holiday. Midsummer Eve, which always takes place on a Friday in mid-June, sees thousands of people flock to the countryside with friends and family in tow, leaving the cities eerily deserted.
Like many European festivals, the roots of Midsummer lie in pagan traditions. While many of these quaint customs are still adhered to – namely crafting floral headbands, or krans, and performing whimsical dances around a maypole – the event is largely an excuse to come together to celebrate nature while consuming as much potato salad and ice-cold vodka as possible. For a country known for its conservatism, Midsummer Eve is the one night of year that guarantees revelry. And for Britain's Nordic community, and those who enjoy the Scandi lifestyle, there's plenty of opportunity to join in the summer celebrations without having to leave the country.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks groundSpeed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resignsSpeed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
-
A boat trip around Sweden’s Bohuslän islandsThe Week Recommends Thousands of islands make up the remote and ‘stunningly beautiful’ Bohuslän archipelago
-
Chill out on holiday at these three ice hotelsSpeed Read Ice hotels are some of the coolest places to spend the winter
-
Edible Sweden: a foodie guide to the west coastThe Week Recommends
-
Eat Sweden: a journey through the ‘edible country’In Depth
-
Icehotel Sweden review: the world’s coolest destinationThe Week Recommends A hotel made of ice is a clever tourist attraction - but the idea came about almost by accident
-
The most luxurious tree houses around the world to stay inIn Depth Far from the ramshackle structures of your childhood, these wooded lodgings offer lavish comforts and clever design
-
We Have a Dream exhibition captures the faces of changeIn Depth At Stockholm's Fotografiska, photographer Albert Wiking presents 114 striking portraits of people who have dared to make a difference
-
A design for the high life: the best hotel architectureIn Depth Cutting-edge architectural design is transforming the world’s luxury hotels. Ian Belcher selects some of the most spectacular boltholes
