In Sweden, Midsummer is one of the most important days of the year. As a matter of fact, it rivals only Christmas with its festive spirit and traditions. And as a way to share its Swedish heritage with the international community, Sandgrens’ celebrated the occasion with its recent Midsummer Sale. Now that the sale has concluded, we thought we’d examine Midsummer with a more in-depth approach. As the Scandinavian region emerges from its long, dark winter, it’s should come as no surprise that the arrival of summer is a significant event in Nordic countries. Midsummer is a Time of Magic and Romance Midsummer is often celebrated around June 24 and has its roots in a pre-Christian solstice festival. Despite its Christian roots, the holiday today is far removed from any sort of religion and is instead seen as more a celebration of the start of summer. It is also a holiday best spent with family and friends and preferably outside the buzzling city. Whether this be out on the countryside or on an island in the Swedish archipelago, you can rest assured that the cities around the 24th of June are almost empty. Midsummer takes place when the sun never seems to set. In fact, up in the far north of Sweden, the sun actually never sets and in the south, it only sets for a few hours. The country’s emergence from winter into summer is enough to beckon its people outdoors, so it’s no surprise that nature is a key component to the holiday. The iconic Midsummer pole is decorated with greenery and flowers, and then its celebrants dance around it. Gathering flowers to weave into wreaths and crowns is a way to harness nature’s magic to ensure good health in the coming year. It remains a major part of Midsummer observance. Extending into the realm of romance, legend states if unmarried girls pick seven (or sometimes nine) types of flowers and place them under their pillows, they’ll dream of their future husband. Midsummer is a Holiday where Everyone Participates. Midsummer is a holiday with strong traditions with a great amount of nostalgia so you can be sure to find young and old partaking in the Midsummer festivities – whether that be dancing around the Midsummer pole or wearing flower crowns. And of course, experiencing the Midsummer holiday is the best way to feel its magic. P.S – you can find our featured Victoria clogs here.  Love, Sandgrens The post Swedish Midsummer: A Summary of its Origin and Tradition appeared first on Sandgrens Clogs.
