Happy Midsummer!

With Midsummer rapidly approaching on Friday this week, it's time to start planning for the long weekend. Here are some ideas for things to try on Friday. All Zoomers will be out of the office on Friday 24 June.

We'll be back to work as normal on Monday 27 June. Midsummer is the high point of the year for most Swedes, and it's a holiday that is filled with tradition. To find out more, I asked the Zoomers about their favourite Midsummer traditions. If you don't celebrate Midsummer yourself, here are some ideas for things to try on Friday:

Uyen Vu

"Before when my sambo's family still had the summer house in Lysekil, we went there every midsummer. At the summer house, we enjoyed nature and played outdoor games. Later on Midsummer Eve, we went down to the town to watch people doing the frog dance and then we go home for the Midsummer fest. Midsummer fest is my favourite part of the tradition: I enjoy eating fresh shrimp and fish. This year, we will be in Italy for Midsummer so I guess we will eat pasta and Caprese salad, maybe I will dare to have a Negroni if I am in good mood."

"Midsummer is celebrated at Delsjökolonin. Traditional with dancing around the midsummer pole, folk dance teams, chocolate wheels, raffles and so on. But this year, Midsummer coincides with our daughter's 15th birthday so our focus will be on her wishes..."

Qarin Lövgren

"A couple of years ago, we started a new tradition and since go to my parents-in-law in Åmål. That to meet up with my husband's four siblings and all kids. And, to give us all a chance to meet at least one time per year…  Once there, we eat all the midsummer goodies, sing songs, go to the city's midsommarstång for dancing, etc. Below is a photo of 'midsommarkransarna' I made in 2019; those made it to the cover page of Åmål's daily paper."

Sanna Hedberg

"Traditional midsummer lunch with herring and new potatoes, snaps with friends by the sea. Decorate midsommarstång with flowers together with the kids"

Enjoy the weekend, and Happy Midsummer!