Picture the following scenario:

Who: You and a whole bunch of friends
Where: In someone’s big summerhouse on an island in the Swedish archipelago
When: Midsummer’s eve

It’s bright and early on Midsummer’s Eve. You are woken up by the sun who gently strokes you with its warmth. Or perhaps it was the little bird singing away outside your window who made you open your eyes? Outside: A clear blue sky and a calm sea. The little breeze keeps the temperature nice and comfortable. One by one, your friends are slowly waking up and everyone gathers around the big rustic table outside for a lovely al fresco breakfast. During breakfast, you divide the chores between you. Someone is picking flowers, others are making a Midsummer pole. Some are in charge of the lunch, the rest are taking the boat into town to by some more supplies. When all is done, you gather once again around the big rustic table to enjoy the lovely strawberry cake that someone spontaneously decided to make. Afterwards, it’s time for a swim in the lovely blue sea. Perhaps you bring a few bottles of ice cold beer down to the jetty and sit there for a couple of hours. There’s no rush, no stress. When the beers are finished and your bodies are slightly tanned, you all wander back the house to dance around the pole, sing silly songs and drink more beer. Someone has already set the table, and when the dancing and the singing is over, you once again gather around the big rustic table, this time it’s packed with new potatoes, herring, salads, meatballs, aquavit and other delicacies. You eat and drink for hours, sing more songs and eat a bit more while the sun is setting over your little island. The longest evening of the year ends with skinny dipping in the warm sea before you all go to bed just before the sun rises once again over your little island.

This is how the Swedes picture themselves celebrating Midsummer’s Eve every year. Midsummer = sunshine, sea, friends, herring and a little more sunshine. And when we finally realize that the island dream won’t happen this year either, this is how we  imagine that EVERYONE ELSE are celebrating Midsummer. Midsummer’s Eve in Sweden is filled with more expectations than New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve put together and if you, god forbid, don’t have an island, a summerhouse or a boat, well then you have to settle for less and have a party anyway. And no matter if you are on the island or in the city, a typical Swedish midsummer normally contains a huge amount of rain and crap weather in general, someone who gets way too drunk on aquavit (because herring isn’t the most substantial food in the world), a few arguments and massive hangover. Fun, nevertheless. But not so much the big midsummer night’s dream.

This on  the other hand, is how the Germans imagine a Swedish typical Midsummer’s Eve (a warning to sligthly sensitive readers, though!). This is a – believe it or not – a commercial for IKEA, but it was banned in the end. Can’t for my life understand why!