Midsummer Day Description
Midsummer Day is arguably Sweden's most beloved holiday, celebrating the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. Midsummer Eve (Friday) is the main celebration, with the raising and dancing around a flower-decorated maypole ("midsommarstång"), singing traditional songs like "Små grodorna," and feasting on pickled herring, new potatoes, strawberries, and aquavit. City dwellers flock to the countryside and archipelago. The actual Midsummer Day (Saturday) is quieter, spent recovering at summer cottages. All public offices and banks close, and most businesses grant a long weekend.
