June Festival in Sweden
The June festivals in Sweden, known as Midsommarafton, are considered the most important national celebrations in the country, surpassing even Christmas in popular participation. Held between June 20 and 26, Friday is the traditional day for the celebration, marked by several typical traditions.
One of the central symbols of the festival is the majstången — a maypole decorated with flowers and leaves, erected in the center of the villages, around which participants dance in a circle. This tradition has common roots with the Maypole of the Germanic peoples and is linked to fertility and the renewal of nature.
During Midsommarafton, people dress in rural clothes, sing traditional carols and celebrate with typical seasonal foods, such as strawberries and potatoes. Charms are also part of the festival, especially among young women, who make bouquets with seven or nine flowers to dream about their future husbands.
In addition, popular belief says that the herbs harvested at this time have special powers and that the water from the springs brings health. Houses are decorated with flowers and leaves to attract luck. Big cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg are almost empty, as Swedes take refuge in their summer homes to celebrate the date. The traditional balloons of the festival, however, often cause accidents.
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