It's not lingonberries, It"s strawberries and wild strawberries (the smaller ones). Everyone who wants to can make a flower crown, or you can buy or get help from someone you celebrate with. Yes, everyone is welcome - to the different official celebrations around the country, for the private ones you need to know someone. Summer solstice is celebrated in several countries in Europe, this is how us Swedes do it. Danes, Norweigans and Finns calls their celebrations something else and celebrate differently. Welcome to join! 🌸

The Small Frogs Song is a "translation" of a French Army Marching song, it's basically making fun of the French.

My cousin lives in Portland, Oregon. She is from Jämtland, Sweden.

This is the traditionell midsummer celebration . It's also popular to barbecue and play lawn games for exemple kubb ,brännboll , beer pong :) 🍓🥂

The berries that was used was strawberrys, and wild strawberry, on Swedish the last one is named " Smultron" they are about the size of a raspberry kinda, mby slightly smaller.

If you ever get the chance - check out Battery Park at Midsummer. Usually thousands of Swedes, lots of festivities.

I believe the "pauses" in Swedish language you mention come mostly from the fact that there are a lot of compound words, like 'snapsvisor' (snaps - a drinking shot, visor - songs). In English, it'd be two words, so there'd still be a pause, but unlike Swedish it's also written as two separate words.

The tradition of midsummer is probably the oldest tradtion we have. It is from long before Sweden was christianed. From the vikings ages. The may pole is a fertilty symbol. A pole (symbol for a phallus) that is stuck into mother earth for better harvests. And the two rings.. Well, I´m sure you can figure it out for yourself what they symboize, knowing what the pole itself is a symbol for. In the last two centuries the feast has became a lot of fun for kids. And when they fall asleep the adults have their own parties where almost anything might happen

we also have a number of Midsummer celebrated in the UK

It's how Sweden celebrate Midsummer (summer solstice). In Denmark we have a big bonfire (preferably around 10 PM), and sing a song or two - maybe someone even make a special speech.

In the old days, it was the girls who picked seven wild flowers and put them under the pillow, the boys would jump over seven old wooden fence yards. But since it today is rare with the old wooden fence yards (especially nearby ones), the tradition with flowers has partly also spread to the boys.

If you come, everyone whould invite you for the fun. We want you to feel welcome and join the fun. Evening is bbq and beer outside in the sun since it hardly goes down at all. We all leaves the citys and celebrate in the smaller countryside that day the city is closed down.

Midsummer is also celebrated here in England, in varying forms. However, before the Norman Conquest, it was a more important day, and to the pagan Anglo-Saxons was incredibly important. The Anglo-Saxons and the wider Germanic world, which included Sweden, shared a common religion (Germanic paganism/heathenry), of which Midsummer’s Day, or Midsumordæg in Old English, is an existing remnant of that has survived until modern times.

I can say right away that if you are in Sweden and visiting the big midsummer celebrations, everyone is welcome to participate. Then depending on which one you visit, they help show you how to make your midsummer wreath to wear on your head. There are none ready-made to buy, but you make them yourself.

The reason for the pauses in our words, such as "snapsvisor" is because here in Sweden we tend to smash 2 words together all the time for no apparent reason. So in this instance it is actually 2 words ("snaps" and "visor"), so when we say it we still say it as 2 words even if we put them together when spelling! I have no idea why we do this! Perhaps too much snaps is the answer! ;-)

Celebration of the summer solstice is what midsummer is about, a ancient tradition that goes way beyond the viking age. I would say that celebrating the shortest night of the year here in Scandinavian goes back to iron age, or maybe even further.

My family have always woven the flower wreaths themselves (never bought any, as I saw someone mention you could buy plastic ones). I made one this year as well, even if I didn't go to any Midsummer pole to dance. I just had it on for the buffeet. But yes. If you make it, you can go out alone or with family members who wants to join (or drag the kids along to keep them occupied until the dancing). You pick the flowers you want (you can also pick some thin birch branches for filler) and then you sit down with some sewing thread or similar and bind it all together into a circle.

Flower crowns can be bought (mostly plastic) or you can make your own. Some set up crafting stations.

MidSummer day is sooo much bigger than the National day(6th of June) for most Swedes.. One reason might be our Nation once was almost as large as half of Europe( or larger..), and as a War-country , to maintain that area you`ll probably have to keep fighting and provide that "Old Nation" with a lot of needed things like forever.. Not to mention the own Peoples will to fight + the opponents you hurt.. I guess the developement of weapons + the impossibility of Warfare in a huge and fastly growing Country was hard to keep up with during the centuries back then..(..being "War-fatigue" and losing the will to fight for an area you had no Historical connection to made it impossible.., and imagine constantly need to find "new" soldiers back then.. ) I believe this caused Old Sweden to lose the Old territory ?!... Today most Swedes are very peaceful if not "pushed up against the Wall ",..You could probably say we don`t see the reason for fighting whilst losing many of our relatives, just for the need of more Land..If you don`t "over-populate" our Nature what is the need to "own" everything ?? , If having peace It`s so much easier to share things with others than to kill and to be killed yourself... All of this probably explains why MidSummer is our actual "Independance Day"/National Day !?! We have learned the hard way what expansive Warefare brings to a People.. and this also explains Swedens attitude in WW2...and BTW , who wants to celebrate the fact that "We" lost approx. 90% of the Land area we once had ?? :D :D // I like your vids a lot.. you educate us at the same time you yourself learns more..it`s a win-win.. keep up the good work + have a great life !! :D

We used to celebrate every beginning of a new part of the year. But in todays Sweden we ”only” celebrate the summer and spring. Our celebration of autumn and winter merched into halloween and christmas. As a foreginer you are very welcome to take part in the celebration of midsummer:)