apicnicblanket,asingle-usegrill
anda messywreathofwildf lowers.
PlayingSwedishlawngamesingood
companybeneathclearblueskies
wascelebrationenoughtomarkthe
passageintosummerandwelcome
theabundantdaylightthathadfinal-
lyreturnedtoSwedenaftermonths
cloaked in darkness.
IngridK.Williams
BoatFestival
PORTSOY,SCOTLAND
JUNE20-21
Historicfishingboatsandcompet-
itivesailingteamswillsailintothe
annual Scottish Traditional Boat
Midsummer
inSweden
JUNE 20
Midsummer,acelebrationof the
summersolstice,isoneofthemost
importantholidaysontheSwedish
calendar.Festivitiescommenceon
Midsummer’sEve– June 20 in2020.
Historianstracemidsummercele-
brationstopaganfestivals,butmost
moderntraditionssolidifiedlast
cent u r y.
Therearespecificdishestobe
served– newpotatoes,pickledher-
ring,strawberries–andsongsto
besung,including‘SmåGrodorna’
(‘TheLittleFrogs’),whichinvolves
hoppingaroundamaypole.
Traditionalistsdustofftheir
folkcostumes,andf lowers
aretiedintocolourfulmid-
summercrowns.
Beerf lowsfreelyandfood
coursesarepunctuatedby
shotsof ice-coldaquavit
accompaniedby raucous
drinkingsongs,calledsnaps-
visor. Theonlyabsolutemust
at midsummeris nature.
Thoseunabletoretreatto
thecountrysidecanjoinpub-
liccelebrationsincityparks
orthethree-dayfestivalat
Skansen,anopen-airmuse-
umandzooinStockholm.
I once spent a dreamy
Midsummer’s Eve in a
Stockholmparkwith only
READER’S DIGEST
112 Augus t 2019