{"id":8652,"date":"2020-06-24T02:34:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T02:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=8652"},"modified":"2020-06-24T02:44:50","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T02:44:50","slug":"midsommar-blommor-or-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/midsommar-blommor-or-bust\/","title":{"rendered":"Midsommar: Blommor or Bust!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“Midsommar Celebration.” Stefan Berg\/Folio\/imagebank.sweden.se<\/p><\/div>\n

Glad midsommar allihopa<\/span><\/i> \/ Happy Midsommar everyone!
\nI\u2019ll admit, I\u2019m a little late because midsommar<\/em> was last week but because <\/span>it<\/span> is one of the most popular holidays in Sweden, this wouldn’t be a Swedish blog without a nod to midsommar<\/em>. An ode to nature and all things summery, Swedes leave cities in droves to spend time in the countryside with friends and family. Personally, when I think of midsommar,<\/em> my head fills with images of flowers! In this post, I will provide some essential midsommar vocabulary and then highlight a few midsommar<\/em> customs that rely on flowers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, I promised I would get back to some more beginning vocab so here we go! First, you can wish someone a <\/span>Glad midsommar<\/i><\/strong> \/ Happy Midsummer!<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some need-to-know Midsommar nouns:<\/b><\/p>\n

en blomma<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0a flower
\n<\/span>\u2192 blomman \u2192 blommor \u2192 blommorna<\/span><\/p>\n

(en) midsommarafton<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0Midsummer\u2019s Eve<\/span><\/p>\n

en midsommarkrans\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>a flower head wreath\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(ett) sommarsolst\u00e5nd<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Summer Solstice\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

en midsommarst\u00e5ng<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Midsummer pole\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

en snapsvisa\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 a drinking song\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do these verbs on midsommar<\/em>:<\/b><\/p>\n

att grilla<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0to grill
\n<\/span>\u2192 grillar \u2192 grillade \u2192 har grillat<\/span><\/p>\n

att dansa kring midsommarst\u00e5ngen
\n<\/strong>to dance around the Midsummer pole
\n\u2192 dansar \u2192 dansade \u2192 har dansat\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

att fira\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0to celebrate
\n<\/span>\u2192 firar \u2192 firade \u2192 har firat\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eat these classic Midsommar foods:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

en jordgubbst\u00e5rta<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 a strawberry cake
\n<\/span>\u2192 t\u00e5rtan \u2192 t\u00e5rtor \u2192 t\u00e5rtorna\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(en) sill<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0herring\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

en f\u00e4rskpotatis<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0new potatoes
\n<\/span>\u2192 potatisen \u2192 potatisar \u2192 potatisarna
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

en glass <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 ice cream\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Doris Beling\/Folio\/imagebank.sweden.se<\/p><\/div>\n

Blommor or Bust!\u00a0<\/strong>
\nOkay, back to the <\/span>blommor<\/span><\/i>! As I said before, no <\/span>midsommar <\/span><\/i>is complete without flowers galore. There are a few specific traditions I wanted to highlight that involve flowers, some of them dating back to pagan times. I did some digging on the history of these customs and found<\/span> this piece from <\/span>Nordiska museet, <\/span><\/i><\/a>read it fully if you are a history buff like me!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sju sorters blommor <\/i>\/ Seven Types of Flowers<\/strong><\/p>\n

People believed in the magical abilities of plants and it was said that they were most powerful at the Summer Solstice, or midsommar<\/em>. Folk tradition says that if you pick seven (or even nine) different types of flowers on Midsummer’s eve and place them under your pillow, you\u2019ll dream of your true love. This custom is still widely practiced today!<\/span><\/p>\n

Midsommarkransar \/ <\/i>Midsommar Head Wreaths<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flowery crowns have come into modern summer fashion, but these <\/span>kransar<\/span><\/i> have roots that date back to pagan times when wearing the crown symbolized fertility and rebirth. Head wreaths were originally inspired by the circular rings that are adorned on the Midsummer pole.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Lena Granefelt\/imagebank.sweden.se<\/p><\/div>\n

For good health, folks would save and dry their <\/span>midsommarkrans <\/span><\/i>until Christmastime. Then, taking a bath in water soaked with the <\/span>midsommar<\/span><\/i> flowers was thought to be somewhat of a vitamin boost in the dead of winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also a widely practiced custom today, both men and women wear these crowns, and it is best if you make it yourself. Traditionally made from birch trimmings and handpicked wildflowers, now folks use more durable store bought flowers for a longer-lasting<\/span> midsommarkrans<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>Watch this demo<\/span><\/a> of how to make a <\/span>midsommarkrans<\/span><\/i> in 15 minutes! <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Fl\u00e4dersaft \/ Elderflower drink\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A popular non-alcoholic midsommar drink is<\/span> saft<\/span><\/i>. This sugary, sweet beverage is made from a syrupy concentrate that is mixed with water and ends up having a lemonade-like consistency. <\/span>Saft <\/span><\/i>is quite popular to make yourself, popular flavors include blueberry, rhubarb, lingon, and elderberry. You can usually find some <\/span>saft<\/span><\/i> at IKEA, but <\/span>here is a recipe<\/span><\/a> if you\u2019d like to make your own!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Swedish Elderflower lemonade, syrup or cordial (fl\u00e4dersaft)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n