Midsummer in Sweden

Hello!

Last Friday, June 24, was Midsummers Eve in Sweden. It is a really old tradition where people get together with their friends and relatives. Usually, everyone leaves the cities and go out in the countryside and celebrate the longest day of the year. Well, the day when there is sunshine the longest. In some parts of Sweden it is sunshine the whole day and the whole night. It is called midnightsun and is a large tourist attraction.

Common things to do on Midsummers Eve are:

• Raise a Midsummer Pole. You put leaves and flowers on a long pole and erect it somewhere. Then you dance around it. The music is mostly old childrens songs and folk music. 
• Eat traditional food. In Sweden that is most often "sill" (pickled herring) and potatoes. With that, there is the "snaps". And of course you sing some "snapsvisor". 
• Barbecue and party as usual. 

I myself had a really good time by the Midsummer Pole. There is this song called "små grodorna" which means "the small frogs". Perfect for me. I danced it over and over and over until my head spun.

After that, I did a really good job of turning some good meat to coal on the barbecue.

Bye bye!

Janne presents Swedish traditions: 13 December Lucia

Hello.

Today I would like to tell you all about a special Swedish tradition. It is called Lucia and is celebrated on the 13 of December each year. Originally this was a day to remember a saint called Lucia who lived in Sicily in Italy a very, very long time ago. Some people did bad things to her so the catholic pope decided to make her a saint.

Today in Sweden, we don't think about that too much. For us it is more a day to dress up small children in white gowns and make them carry electric candles and sing traditional Lucia and christmas songs. Afterwards we all eat "lussebullar" which is buns with saffron, gingerbread cookies and drink something warm.

Here you can see me in a traditional stjärngosse outfit. A stjärngosse means star boy in english. In a traditional Lucia parade you will also find gnomes and gingerbread men. It is all very strange and confused, but we really don't care since it is all a lot of fun and something to do while we wait for Santa Claus to bring us the presents at christmas.

Below you can see a very traditional Lucia parade with young women dressed in white carrying candles. They usually go to various places like retirement homes, hospitals and such and sing. Very nice.