Swedish Midsummer Celebrations 2017
Swedish Midsummer – background
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 cold is coming back. At Midsummer, 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 supposed to pick 7 different flowers and lay them under their pillow. If they do this, the tale says they will dream about their future husband. 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 take out all their holiday over one period in July). Midsummer is often celebrated in the countryside and towns are often left empty and spookily deserted.
Watch our video:
In Sweden, Midsummer is always celebrated on Midsummer’s Eve which is always a Friday. Here in the UK, it has become a tradition to celebrate on 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.
Midsummer in London 2017
There will be a few smaller organised celebrations – we will list them here soon. We will be organising an event from the afternoon – 3 am at a Warehouse in West London. More info to come.
Many people are joining the celebrations in Hyde park but we are NOT the organisers of the gathering/flashmob picnic. There is no official organiser of the celebrations taking place in the park, therefore a Maypole can not be raised and branding is not allowed. If you decide to go to any of London’s park on a warm summer day you need to respect other members of the public and never leave any garbage behind! <3
To this point, there is still no official festival (even though we are still working on it)!
Join the event on FB, where more info will be posted: https://www.facebook.com/events/648446845360119/
Date: 24th June 2017
LondonSwedes Midsummer party 2017
WE ARE STILL, AS ALWAYS, HOSTING AN EVENING EVENT. WE HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS ABOUT THIS YEAR’S EVENT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN A MASSIVE WAREHOUSE WITH ALL THAT MIDSUMMER HAS TO OFFER.
TICKETS: http://bit.ly/LoftMidsummer2017
KEEP AN EYE ON OUR FANPAGE AND HERE ON THE WEBSITE!
Some photos from previous years:
For this year we will continue to celebrate and spread the midsummer festivities as we’ve always done!
A group of maximum 40 people can join any of the Royal Parks together without seeking permission. If you are looking to host a larger group you can seek permission here: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/about-us/contact-us
We are not the organisers of any other event then the night celebrations with The Swedish Chamber of Commerce, we are just joining a tradition that has grown over the years. We are a massive community and everyone wants to celebrate. Due to strict regulations by The Royal Parks and problems that have been reported by the police everyone needs to be taking their own responsibility. Thank you for your collaboration.
