Every year, on the first Friday between June 19 and 25, Sweden stops. People leave the cities, head to the countryside, decorate a flower-covered pole, crouch down in public parks singing songs about tailless frogs, and stay outside until the sun finally gives up and sets — sometime around eleven at night. This is Midsommar. I've lived through eleven of them. This year we celebrated at Skansen, the world's oldest open-air museum, in the heart of Stockholm. In this episode I talk about where the tradition comes from, what it looks like from the outside, and why — after more than a decade — I finally understand why Swedes celebrate summer the way they do.
Stoic philosophy, life in Sweden, culture, history, and everything worth thinking about. YouTube: youtube.com/@latitude59p Free bilingual transcripts + support: ko-fi.com/latitude59 If this added something to your day, a rating helps more than you'd think. Thanks for listening.