Midsummer picnic box
Swedish Midsummer 2015, London – order your picnic box from us!
The Midsummer celebrations is a tradition celebrated in Sweden and by Swedes all over the world once a year! Summer in Sweden is short, it starts in May and explodes into life in June and by the end of September the autumn is here. On Midsummer’s Eve it’s hardly dark at all, and in north Sweden, the sun never sets. Midsummer night is therefore the lightest night of the year!
From the beginning Midsummer was celebrated to commemorate John The Baptist and to welcome the summertime and the season of fertility.
On Midsummer’s Eve girls are suppose to pick 7 different flowers and lay them under their pillow. If they do this, the tale says they will dream about their future husbands. Legend has it that the night before Midsummer’s Day is a magical time for love and that many children are conceived this special night 🙂
Many Swedes begin their 5 week holiday just after Midsummer (yes, in Sweden many people take out all their holiday over one period in July). Midsummer is often celebrated at the country side and towns are often left empty en spookily deserted.
In Sweden Midsummer is always celebrated on Midsummer’s Eve which always is a Friday. Here in the UK it has become a tradition to celebrate on the Saturday, on Midsummer’s Day.
The day often begins with picking flowers for the flower crowns worn by the girls and women and to build a maypole which is a key component in the celebrations. Drinking and singing is a big part of the festivities and midsummer is known for being messy.
Here’s a list of places to celebrate Midsummer made by the Swedish Church: Swedish Midsummer in London (and the rest of the UK)
Together with Stockholm Deli in East Sheen we have created a midsummer box for your midsummer celebrations. The box can be picked up either at their store in East Sheen on the 19th June or be collected near Hyde Park on Saturday 20th June.
MIDSUMMER PICNIC BOX
(the picture shows the box for 2 people)
Homemade Swedish meatballs
Lingonberry jam
Mustard herring
New potato
Fresh dill
Homemade Potato sallad
Roastbeef
Västerbottenost (Swedish cheese)
Rye bread
Kladdkaka (chocolate mud cake)
Salad
Fresh Strawberries
Box for 2 £30
Box for 4 £60
Add flower crowns for £3/each
ORDERS CLOSED
Text: “Traditions and festivities, CELEBRATING the Swedish Way” Bo Tidholm, Agneta Lilja
