The Swedish Midsummer Festival (Midsommar) is a celebration marking the beginning of summer! It takes place on the fourth Saturday of June, and on the day before – Midsummer Eve – people gather to dance around the Maypole (Majstång). The Maypole is a symbol of fertility, wishing for a good harvest and the prosperity of future generations.
I think the most famous Midsummer Festival in Stockholm is the one held at Skansen, the open-air museum!
If you’re interested, click the photo below to check out an old blog post about it!
This trip to Dalarna was a last-minute decision, so all the hotels were fully booked. That’s when we came up with the idea of camping! We somehow managed to secure two spots next to eachother – one for us and one for our friends – at a campsite on Sollerön Island outside of the city of Mora, in the Dalarna County.
🏕️Campsite→ Caravan Club Levsnäs
Midsummer Festival Day!
The weather was unusually nice this year during Midsummer. It’s usually quite cold and rainy every year during Midsummer in Sweden), so we were super excited and got ready with flower crowns! We bought pre-made crowns from the supermarket, then added real flowers—thanks to Anders and my best friend’s idea—to make them look even more gorgeous.
With summer-inspired colors in our outfits and flower crowns full of freshly picked wildflowers, our Midsummer fashion was complete—full of seasonal charm!
Then it was time for a group selfie! Even in Stockholm, where Swedes who usually love wearing black switch to colorful clothes in summer, Dalarna takes it a step further—there were so many men wearing flower crowns too! It all added to the fun and festive vibe.
The event began like this: the maypole—the “May pole”—was lying on the ground, and a team of local residents, specially chosen by the town, was standing by, ready to raise it.
And then the raising began! Two long wooden poles were crossed into an X-shape at the ends and used from the sides to support the maypole. With everyone calling out in unison, they slowly lifted it bit by bit. It’s a time-consuming process, but because there’s a real risk of accidents or injuries if it goes wrong, everything is done with great care.
(Incidentally, on this same day, there was actually an accident at another event where a maypole fell!)
Finally, the maypole was secured in place using stones, wooden supports, and metal fittings—installation complete!
At the end, everyone gathered around the maypole, singing simple, nursery-like songs and dancing like kindergarten kids!
In Sweden, this kind of large gathering happens only once a year! Since we couldn’t attend the biggest event in Dalarna this time, I’m hoping to try again next year.
A video I made for Instagram ↓
Midsummer Festival Location→ Sollerö Hembygdsgård
This is how we make our Nordic Life Colorful! Enjoy your day!