Tafih

So today is Midsummers eve. Midsummer is one of the biggest holidays in Sweden. Associated with the holiday is the Maypole. The Maypole is a cross with two rings hanging from each side of the horizontal pole.

-         Come on, it’s a penis innit?

-         You may be right, according to what I´ve heard it symbolizes a penis; penetrating the mother earth. We dress the big penis up in flowers and leaves. It is actually really beautiful. When we are finished dressing the maypole we all assume a pose which is supposed to make us look like frogs and we jump around the pole singing “Little frogs, little frogs, how fun you are to look at” (who knows what frogs got to do with this holiday…) (not really sure about the big penis either but reckon it some kind of old pagan tradition for fecundity, maybe we get better harvest or become more fertile dancing around a big penis dressed in flowers and leaves pretending to be frogs singing about how funny frogs are to look at? Although, considering the general alcohol consumption during this holiday it is likely that more semen are being killed then born).

-         Serious, you do that?

-         Absolutely!  A Swedish tradition, I´ve been celebrating it since I was a kid. We also make rings that we dress in flowers and put them on our heads.

-         So you put the balls of the penis on your heads?

-         Well, I never thought of it that way before and find it rather disturbing that you said it since it is actually really pretty to have the midsummer wreath on your head.

-         Do the children also put this “wreath” on their head?

-         Of course!

-         Hmm….

-         And we all dress up nicely in “summery” cloths. Normally we meet up friends or family celebrating, not uncommonly bigger groups. The celebration starts rather early and last all night. We spend most of the day/evening/night inside or in party tents since it normally rains on Midsummers eve, a lot. We eat fermented herring, (in Swedish called surströmming which translates to moody herring – and judging by the smell of him he got all right to be) baby potatoes and strawberries. And “nubbe” which is a snaps, normally spiced brandy or Skånes akvavit or something else to make drunk enough not to frown while drinking it. If I´m not mistaking Midsummer is the holiday were most people drink in Sweden. It is one of the biggest holidays here.

-         It sounds…. Lovely… Enjoy!

-         I´m working… Aiming for an early night…