Midsummer Eve

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Friday, 20. June 2008, 20:59:34

According to Swedish calendars, today is Midsummer Eve. In most other countries, this day has a specific date (June 24th) but in Sweden it's always the Friday before the actual day itself. Why? Because it's a day of festivity and we can't have that on any weekday, can we...

Midsummer is traditionally the celebration of summer solstice, but many places it has been Christianised to be the nativity of St. John the Baptist instead. Not in Sweden. Think pagan, and you'll get what this eve is about.

Midsummer Eve is, perhaps together with New Year's Eve, the number one party day in Sweden. If people work this day, they leave early to get ready to the night's big shinding. If you're really traditional, you will start with raising the maypole - a giant phallus in the form of a wooden pole, dressed with leaves and flowers. Once risen, the pole is used to dance around. Kids and adults form a ring around the maypole and sing and dance various songs. Most notable perhaps, is "Little frogs" where they imitate the behaviour of frogs

.

Food is very important on this eve. Pickled herring is the number one dish this day. New potatoes is a must, together with sour cream and, hopefully, the year's first batch of fresh, sweet strawberries. And to wash it all down - a shot of aquavit or ten...

Back in the days, Midsummer was considered to be a night of magic. People were afraid to go for a bathe this night because of the Neck, but at the same time it was a perfect night for perfoming rituals to predict the future.
Some old traditions are still preserved, like picking seven different kinds of wild flowers and putting them under the pillow. This would supposedly make you dream of your future spouse. In other words, not a good night for a nightmare...

Have a great Midsummer Eve! And let me know who you dreamt of

BumfriendsThe What's In Your Fridge tag

When I was a kid, we used to 'dance around the maypole' at harvest festival time...I disliked it intensely then, although now I see the charm and prefer the 'pagan' ways of looking at the world, personally. Incidentally - today (21st) is the shortest day, here in NZ

So it's all downhill now until xmas & our mid-summer

Happy midsummer, Rose

By flamingo rinse, # 20. June 2008, 21:07:17

Interesting post, Rosie! I'm a bit nervous now though *hopes she dreams of Mik or she'll be in big trouble*

By Spaggyj, # 20. June 2008, 21:13:21

I never heared of this tradition over here in the states. Just another holiday we miss out.

But it sounds pretty cool to celebrate, dont party to hard.

By jrd2498, # 20. June 2008, 21:17:06

Nick - Harvest festival... Would that be around autumn? (I'm not very good with agriculture...

) Today is the longest day here. It's a half hour to midnight and it's still not dark

Kimmie - Thanks

. Oh... so you want a nightmare tonight?

José - This tradition is older than the United States

. But you have plenty of other holidays that we don't have here, so it evens up

. And I won't party because it's not celebrated in Norway at all. They have some bonfires on the 23d, but that's about it...

By rose-marie, # 20. June 2008, 21:38:38

Nightmare? Oh, no. I'll tell you who's the stuff of nightmares...

By Spaggyj, # 20. June 2008, 21:41:28

I know, I know... It's the Neck, right?

By rose-marie, # 20. June 2008, 21:51:21

Well, I was gonna say Clint... But... That's a bit too scary to joke about huh?

By Spaggyj, # 20. June 2008, 21:53:32

Oh no! You mentioned his name! If you don't send 50 chain letters in three minutes he will be under your bed tonight!

By rose-marie, # 20. June 2008, 22:00:29

HOLY CRAP!

By Spaggyj, # 20. June 2008, 22:03:02

You better hurry up Spaggy.

By jrd2498, # 20. June 2008, 22:18:49

I don't know ten people, nevermind fifty! I'm DOOMED! DOOMED!

By Spaggyj, # 20. June 2008, 22:22:46

Originally posted by Rose:

Would that be around autumn?

You're probably right, it was over 100 years ago when I was a kid - I just remember the maypole, the 'country dancing' - as it was called - around the maypole, and marquees full of prize vegetables & displays of home-made jams & cakes etc. Probably wasn't harvest festival at all

The sort of thing I enjoy strolling about in now, however

By flamingo rinse, # 20. June 2008, 22:26:30

That's interesting!

"but many places it has been Christianised to be the nativity of St. John the Baptist instead." That's what happened here, more than that... it now became the National Day of Québec!

Here it's june 24th.

(Canada day is July 1st.) So french Canadians can feast twice! Yéééé

By martinouellette, # 20. June 2008, 22:29:23

So...where's the recording of your frog impression?

By theoddbod, # 20. June 2008, 23:33:18

Hope you have a great Midsummer Eve Rose-Marie.

By Dacotah, # 21. June 2008, 01:00:04

Nice post Rose

Pagan rituals are always interesting because this is something that is remained from more than a thousand years ago. At least here, even though south Slav tribes accepted christianity after they moved in Balkan, after 6th century. We don`t have this ritual here but I will try to search and maybe find something.

"People were afraid to go for a bathe this night"

So, you skipped your daily shower

By gdare, # 21. June 2008, 05:27:34

I love this post. I was on wikipedia to read about this frog dance, and I must say that the refrain gave me a healthy morning laugh:

Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa

What I dreamt tonight was a bit too confusing to describe.

By attilasoul, # 21. June 2008, 06:11:14

I`ve forgot what I dreamt

By gdare, # 21. June 2008, 06:52:10

Me too

By Spaggyj, # 21. June 2008, 07:35:38

I haven't. *looks longingly at Rose's forehead*

By Furie, # 21. June 2008, 08:47:18

You dreamt of Rose?!

By Spaggyj, # 21. June 2008, 09:20:39

Nope, just hungry.

By Furie, # 21. June 2008, 10:52:00

By gdare, # 21. June 2008, 16:06:01

By AOTEAROAnz, # 21. June 2008, 21:16:48

*huff*

By Spaggyj, # 21. June 2008, 21:32:29

..go Kimmie..hehe

By AOTEAROAnz, # 21. June 2008, 22:33:05

Love the post rose...:THUM:P:...hehe,
Coming at you from a fresh as winter solstice.

I like the shapeshifter element..niceone..most interesting..

Vasnetsov_Frog_Princess..

Scandinavian Mythology :wow: I'm gonna get me some more of this 4 sure.

By AOTEAROAnz, # 21. June 2008, 22:43:14

Furie is in trouble.

By jrd2498, # 22. June 2008, 00:28:31

Furie's always in trouble

By Spaggyj, # 22. June 2008, 10:48:56

Kimmie - Don't send to your friends - send them to a select ton of people who've added you

Nick - You youngling you

. Cool that you had maypoles too.

Martin - Québec has a National Day of its own? Great with two feasts

.

Mart - In your inbox

Or you can see a clip of others performing it on youtube here.

Carol - Thank you

Darko - I think midsummer was also a huge fertility festival, and yes, pagan rituals are interesting

. Sweden were a bit lazy when it came to convert to Christianity. Perhaps that's why midsummer still stands so strong there...

The shower is much safer than the sea!

Tilla - I'm glad you got a laugh

. Now, what did you dream?

Mik - I'm so glad you forgot to pick seven different kinds of wild flowers

.

Henry - Thank you

. So you're heading for lighter days now? Good for you

. What's Vasnetsov?

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 11:54:08

Bad idea - that'll just encourage the bastards

. I've really gotta send out a bunch of "remove me please" pms, but it'd take forever

and most of the time people just refuse.

By Spaggyj, # 22. June 2008, 12:03:18

Basically I dreamt something about getting lost - a very common dream in my universe!

By attilasoul, # 22. June 2008, 12:24:25

Yeah... I've stopped doing that as it had absolutely no effect. I hope that when, or if, Opera does launch some kind of restrictions on the friends add, it will be retroactive..

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 12:24:36

I'm always picking wild flowers. And before my loving wife to be says anything, I don't mean my bum.

By Furie, # 22. June 2008, 12:25:47

If only you'd dreamt a little longer... I'm sure a knight in shining armour, on a motorcycle, would help you find your way back

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 12:25:48

Damn it! Stop squirreling me!

Whatever grows there, I'm sure it doesn't count as flowers

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 12:27:01

I am so glad that he doesn't show up on a horse!

Anyway, I always seem to wake up either before it happens, or after I have found a very weird way back. Now don't say that to my shrink please!

By attilasoul, # 22. June 2008, 12:29:21

A weird way...?

I won't tell your shrink, but I'm sure there's somebody here who will let you know what that means

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 12:37:03

Your shrink is a little more interested in the "my universe" comment. Why would you say that when it's obviously mine?

By Furie, # 22. June 2008, 12:38:51

Rose-Marie.

By Dacotah, # 22. June 2008, 12:55:01

HEY!

so the kids dance around a phallus?

By Cois, # 22. June 2008, 13:20:59

Hiya Cois

Yes they do. Isn't that beautiful?

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 15:27:35

I have tried to find something but there are so few written documents about pagan beliefs and rituals of the South Slavs. But I have found a lot of things about gods they worshiped, maybe I will make a post about it once

By gdare, # 22. June 2008, 17:04:51

Originally posted by Mik:

Your shrink is a little more interested in the "my universe" comment. Why would you say that when it's obviously mine?

Because I know it is mine, and no matter how hard you try, it will remain mine!

By attilasoul, # 22. June 2008, 18:59:49

On 21.6.2008 at 9:13pm, my friend sent me this....

"Salutations! Jupiter is over the moon. Jubilations of the Nations. Solstice Celebrations. The season has shed some skin but the days grow longer and brighter. Sending sunshine and warmth my sweet Soulsista of Solstice."

Happy Mid Winter's to you all.

By Rapunzel, # 22. June 2008, 19:30:03

*pulls Tilla's universe out from under her so fast that she's still standing*

By Furie, # 22. June 2008, 19:52:01

Darko - Do it - it would be a cool post

.

Heya Rap

. Happy solstice to you too! The longest day has passed now. The sun rose at 3:54 and set at 22:44. We're heading for darker days now. But first - summer

By rose-marie, # 22. June 2008, 21:43:37

Hi Everyone..

...The 'shapeshifter element', Rose

...from the Neck link and then clicked shapeshifter...:THUM:P ...

Vasnetsov?

...*Returning to my winter solstice igloo* bbbrrrrrrass f**

OvO*

By AOTEAROAnz, # 24. June 2008, 00:20:17

Oh, it's the artist...

By rose-marie, # 24. June 2008, 07:04:43

By AOTEAROAnz, # 24. June 2008, 09:47:48

1 2 Next »

Showing comments 1 - 50 of 69.

- sick :(

Zaphira
2008-10-07 12:06:51
The worst thing is when people bring their ill children with them to work. I mean, come on, I don't want to have what they have! :irked:
rose-marie
2008-10-07 11:58:11
Heh! That's not ice cream, that's glace :P
Moesring
2008-10-07 11:37:03
If you're ill, I know of some ice cream that works wonders :yes:
rose-marie
2008-10-06 19:50:31
I thought I'd get away this time, but I have colleagues who haven't got the decency to stay home when they are ill :irked:
Zaphira
2008-10-06 18:50:16
I am so lucky that I haven't had one for a very long time :up:
rose-marie
2008-10-05 18:39:42
Thanks :). It sucks having a cold :(

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