Midsommarafton was spent at Norra Berget in daytime. We've watched the Maypole rise, danced around it and picked flowers for binding a ring - as in a typical, Swedish midsummer. I wanted to show these traditions to the exchange students who stayed in Sundsvall for the holidays.

Since I've never made a ring of flowers for my hair before - other than a few improvisations as a child - me and Whitney went to get some help from Medelpads Hemslöjd, who offered to teach visitors to bind rings. At times there were even 30 people sitting around the tables, filled with different kinds of flowers, birch and binding thread. I'm satisfied with the result of my first attempt and I know how to make an even nicer one for next year.

While searching for flowers, I managed to catch a butterfly.


Dinner started at 6 pm, with the traditional sill & potatis (pickled herring and potatoes) - or meatballs, for those who don't like fish. Unsurprisingly, the typical Matjessill is often too much of an acquired taste at the first bite. Knäckebröd seems appreciated, though.

The strawberry cream cakes for dessert was gone rather instantly - even though I had made three of them. I noticed that some people were taking pictures of the cakes, though, so they will live on for a while longer.

About 30 people came to the party, most of them are exchange students but there was also some Swedish people. I definitely enjoyed sitting in the garden for hours, just talking to people and have a snack every now and then.

During all evening there was at least someone playing kubb - some people seemed to be in every game. The daylight faded around midnight but it was never dark. People stayed until around 2 am and I'm very happy that so many people came. I hope everyone enjoyed what was for many of them, their first Midsummer party.