Swedish Midsummer Traditions
We decorate this big, green pole with leaves and flowers on Midsummer's Eve before we dance around it.
The Maypole / Midsummer pole (Midsommarstången)
This red, sweet berry is super popular in Sweden. We love to eat it on cream cakes or with milk and sugar.
Strawberry (Jordgubbe)
This little insect usually has red wings with black dots. In English, it has the word "lady" in its name.
A ladybug / Ladybird (Nyckelpiga)
This long, wonderful break from school lasts for about ten weeks in June, July, and August.
Summer vacation / Summer holidays (Sommarlov)
You kick this round object on the grass to score goals. There are big tournaments for this sport all summer long!
A football / Soccer ball (Fotboll)
Which little, green animal do we pretend to be when we jump around the pole singing "Små grodorna"?
A frog (Groda)
When you buy ice cream, you can choose to get it in a cup or in this crispy, edible cone.
A cone / Wafer cone (Glassstrut / Våffla)
This yellow and furry insect flies between summer flowers. It looks like a fat wasp, makes a loud buzzing sound, and is very friendly.
A bumblebee (Humla)
You bring this soft piece of fabric to the beach to dry yourself after swimming, or to lie on in the sun.
A towel / Beach towel (Handduk / Badlakan)
What is the name of the famous amusement park in Stockholm where you can ride rollercoasters and play for big chocolate wheels in the summer?
Gröna Lund
According to tradition, how many types of flowers should you pick and put under your pillow on Midsummer's Night to dream about your future love?
7 (Seven)
This cold, sweet drink is often made from summer berries like raspberries or strawberries mixed with water and sugar. Perfect for the beach.
Juice / Cordial / Squash (Saft)
What do we call the tiny, black creatures with long tails that swim in lakes in early summer, before they grow up to become frogs?
Tadpoles (Grodyngel)
What do we call the long wooden platform at a swimming spot where boats can park or where you can jump into the water?
A pier / dock / jetty (Badbrygga / Brygga)
In this classic Swedish summer game, you throw wooden sticks to knock down the opponent's blocks. The big block in the middle is called the "King".
Kubb
This round food comes directly from the dirt and is the most important thing to eat with herring on Midsummer. It tastes best with dill and butter!
New potatoes / Fresh potatoes (Färskpotatis)
This large, heavy fruit is green on the outside but red, juicy, and full of small black seeds on the inside.
Watermelon (Vattenmelon)
The person sitting in a high chair whose job is to watch the water and keep swimmers safe.
A lifeguard
If you jump into the water while pulling your knees up to your chest to make the biggest splash possible, what is that jump called in English?
Cannonball (Kanonkulan / Bomben)
What do we call the big, round object with a safety net that stands in many gardens, where you can bounce really high and do flips?
A trampoline (Studsmatta)
What do we call the beautiful ring made of flowers and leaves that people weave and wear on their heads during Midsummer?
A flower crown / Midsummer wreath (Midsommarkrans)
This round, soft bun is filled with almond paste and whipped cream in the winter. But in the summer, a version filled with vanilla custard is called a... what?
Sun bun / Custard bun (Solbulle / Solskensbulle)
This beautiful white flower with a yellow center grows wild in summer fields. Children often pick the petals to play "he loves me, he loves me not".
A daisy / Oxeye daisy (Prästkrage)
If you don't swim in a pool or the ocean, you might swim in this large, natural body of water surrounded by land. Sweden has over 100,000 of them!
A lake (Sjö)
What is it called when you pack sandwiches, pancakes, and drinks into a basket and sit on a blanket in the grass to eat outside
A picnic (Picknick)