Friday 20 June 2014

Swedish Midsummer

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Midsummer Eve this year turned out mostly sunny, even if a bit on the chilly side. Probably rather perfect for the folk dancers wearing traditional costumes…

 2014-06-20 folkdräkter

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There was such a crowd of people gathered in our museum park this afternoon that I really did not expect to be able to get close enough to the folk dancing performance to take photos. But I was lucky, and a after a while I managed to sneak into a very good spot in the front row.

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Do the pictures make you wish you could hear the music as well? I did actually manage to get a video snippet too:

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18 comments:

  1. I think I saw this dance on TV one time. Happy Midsummer! :D

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    1. The folk dancing team performed a series of various short dances, Mersad. Not being an expert on that kind of thing myself, I couldn't name any of them though!

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  2. This is totally cool, and really does look like another time long ago. The only clue that it is modern are the few buildings in the background.

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    1. The buildings in the background are old as well, Ginny. The "stage" and the tent roofs over a few lotterly stands etc were modern though :)

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  3. Excellent Monica, Enjoy the second part of the year.

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    1. Thanks Adrian. It always seems to me like Midsummer comes at the beginning of summer rather than in the middle. Even this year, when summer did actually come to an early start.

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  4. What a lovely event. The dance is so gentile and gentle and the video gave a real sense of the buzz you were experiencing.

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    1. There is almost an hypnotic effect to watching the movements of these dances after a while... I was never very good at that sort of thing myself but I'm always impressed.

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  5. This was fun! I really like such traditional festivals with costumes and dances and am still a little sorry for not having been to Ludwigsburg's Pferdemarkt (horse market) procession this year.
    Like the gentleman with the bright blue socks! I wonder if that part of his costume is authentic.

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    1. I'm no expert on folk costumes Meike, but I know there were lots of local varieties and almost every village had their own. So yes my guess is that the blue socks were the tradition "somewhere" even if I'm unable to say exactly where! :)

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  6. How festive....I love these traditional dances and events...thank you for the video.
    I think I would have been the lady in the short white dress....smile.
    We don't celebrate midsummer here since it's always summer!!!

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    1. I'm glad to be able to show some of the old traditions of my country, Virginia. Midsummer here in Scandinavia is very special as the summer solstice means the longest day and shortest night of the year. In the very north of Sweden the sun does not go to bed at all around midsummer, and even down here it hardly gets all dark at night. Young people often make a "sport" of it to stay up all night at midsummer to watch the sunrise... I know I did that at least once in my youth (40 years ago) but yesterday I was probably asleep by midnight!

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  7. so glad you included the video. i was thinking about what the music would sound like and i thought well. it sounded just like i thought it would. about half way down the pics, looks like the blond girl lost her period costume.. heals? mini skirt? hummmm... i love all the costumes especailly that red dress that we see the back of it..... i have said many times i just love your town

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    1. Sandra, the young blond girl stepped in from the audience for one or two dances (to replace someone who needed a break perhaps)... Barefoot and in that short dress she looked like she came in from the Fairy World :)

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  8. Great pictures you've got there, makes me miss home a bit :)

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  9. Fabulous. Gotta love folk dancing. And a really good reason to celebrate your heritage. Really good photos.
    If you go to this link you can read about celebrating the solstice in Antarctica http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-21/antarctic-researchers-strip-off-midwinter-solstice-icy-plunge/5540826
    In Hobart, in Tasmania, 700 people did a nude swim in water that was 11 degrees Celsius.
    Here where I live, 11 degrees South of the Equator, we celebrated the Solstice with parties. Yes, it looks like it is always Summer here, but our seasons are completely different.

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    1. I have a friend here in Sweden who loves to bathe in the sea even in mid winter, Louise. Whereas for me it takes a very hot summer day to tempt me at all. ;)

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