Midsommar

          Today's Midsommar (aka the longest day of the year) and is an annual swedish tradition. For those unfamiliar (and because I want to quote Wikipedia), Midsummer consists of :

Raising and dancing around a maypole (majstång or midsommarstång) is an activity that attracts families and many others. Before the maypole is raised, greens and flowers are collected and used to cover the entire pole. People dancing around the pole listen to traditional music and sing songs such as Små grodorna associated with the holiday. Some wear traditional folk costumes or crowns made of wild springs and wildflowers on their heads. The year's first potatoes, soused herring and pickled herring, chives, sour cream, beer, snaps and the first strawberries of the season are on the menu. Drinking songs (snapsvisor) are also important at this feast, and many drink heavily.

          Of course, I have experienced this tradition before at home (minus the drinking part) with my adopted grandparents Lillian and Max, in which we make a small maypole and hair wreaths, all while picnicking and listening to swedish music. Similarly in Sweden, this event is a family affair. Many people typically host their own small family gatherings at their summer houses, and younger people have their own parties at night; thus, all the shops and stores close because it's basically a holiday. While I unfortunately had no invitation to any private gathering, I was lucky enough to learn that Lund had a public Midsommar celebration, in which I had to pay a small entrance fee to participate. The whole UC EAP group ended up going, but I hung out mainly with one of the girls, Jenna, who is also from Cal. Unlike my experience back at home, this maypole was GINORMOUS. like huge. It took tons of men to lift it up once it was all decorated, and eveyone gathered and danced around it while listening to the folk music they provided. It was fun to be able to experience something very traditional....

          After the celebration I met up with Sarah here on the program, who had also met up with a Swedish guy our age that she knew from when he studied abroad back in CA during high school. I met him and his younger brother who were both really nice, and walked around Lund for a while. It was through them that we learned that Båstad (the Swedish equivalent of Manhattan beach, also where my family and I rented a place for a week last time I was in Sweden...really pretty) is the place to be mid-July because they host the SkiStar Tennis Open.... [Translation: a bunch of young, hot, rich, swedish/danish/european/whatever, athletes are coming to one single location]. Bingo. Other than that, (and other fun weekend excursions I'm currently planning), I can't wait for the program to begin Monday so I can actually start class and improve my Swedish. Hopefully next week sometime I'll take the train to visit my grandma, and finally meet up with my cousins at some point.

          Til then, Sarah and I booked a hostel for one night in Copenhagen tomorrow! We will spend the weekend there, explore, go out, etc....did i mention that I'm staying in a hostel? Yup Princess Emma [what I like to think of as a name of endearment given to me by my lovely sister] will be staying in a hostel. Like sharing a room with 8 total strangers....this will be interesting...