MIDSUMMER
The festival of Midsummer, like that of Jul, has come down from old
heathen times, and next to Christmas is the greatest festival of the
year in Scandinavia.
On this day the sun is at the height of its grandeur, conquering
darkness. The night is the shortest in the year, just a glorious
twilight, which, in a few hours, is merged into dawn.
Summer and winter have each their special enjoyments for those who
know where to look for them. In Sweden, Midsummer Day is looked
forward to especially by the young people.
Great preparations are made in town and country. In the country the
houses have to undergo a special cleaning, and the rooms are decorated
with branches of trees and flowers. In Stockholm there is what is
called a “Leaf-market,” where not only boughs and flowers are exposed,
but also May-poles. In the harbour can be seen a large number of boats
laden with branches.
It is a wonderful sight you see on this day. The houses, both
inside and out, are decorated with green branches. Every train,
steamer, and vehicle is dressed in the same fashion, and even every
horse has its head ornamented with branches of leaves. Little children
all have bunches of flowers in their hands, and very often a small
May-pole, while older ones go out early in the morning to picnic, and
return for the dancing in the evening.
[Illustration: DANCE ON MIDSUMMER’S EVE. _Anders Zorn._]
The centre of attraction is the May-pole, similar to what is found in
many English villages in the month of May, to celebrate the return of
spring; but the Swedish word _Maj_ does not in this instance refer to
the month May, it means green leaf.
What a bustle there has been to get this pole ready! It has to be
decorated. Early in the morning the young girls awaken with the birds,
and hurry into the woods to gather flowers and boughs of the silver
birch, to bind wreaths and garlands for the May-pole. The birch is the
queen of the forest in the summer, just as the dark, sombre fir is the
queen of the winter.
The raising of the pole is an important event in the day’s
proceedings, and amidst shouting and music it is put into position.
The people form themselves in a large ring round it, and to the sound
of the violin or accordion, they dance the whole night long. How
happy they look! They forget everything--all their troubles, and even
the old grandmother may be seen dancing in the ring with her little
grandchild of three years. By-and-by they sit down to supper, and one
might think the festivities were drawing to an end; but no! the meal
is no sooner over than the dancing is resumed and continued with more
or less energy through the night. No one ever seems to think of going
to bed.
There are a number of superstitions and customs in connection with
this festival.
On the hills in the neighbourhood of towns in North Sweden people
light fires at this season. These are but a reminiscence of the
“pyre,” built on consecrated hills by the old heathen priests, and
fired on Midsummer Eve in honour of the sun-god, the mild and
beautiful Balder. Nowadays these fires are not in honour of Balder,
but to prepare coffee. Many families do this. Each family has its own
fire. They put the coffee on the fire when the sun is setting, but, as
in these northern regions at this season of the year the sun takes
little rest, he has risen again before the coffee has boiled.
Sometimes people gather different kinds of flowers to make up into a
bouquet called a Midsummer _qvost_. Whoever does it, usually a young
girl, must go alone. If she should encounter anyone, she must only
answer by signs, and must not open her mouth under any circumstances
until she gets home again. She places the bouquet under her pillow,
and never fails to see in her dream her future lover.
This _qvost_ has many wonderful qualities. It is hung up in the
cattle-house, and if allowed to remain there protects the animals for
a whole year against the _troll_ (witches).
In some places a medicine is made from it, which will cure all
diseases.