Today is Midsummer's Eve. According to Wikipedia it's "arguably the most important holiday of the year". Maybe it is important. We Swedes are dependent on the four seasons and summer is a big deal. So why not celebrate it? I had to work today and I have to work tomorrow as well. So there was no pickled herring with potatoes for me today, nor was there any "dancing" round the maypole. Not that I would've subjected myself to those activities had I not been working.
This time of year is the time of mating, I read. In the past, midsommar was celebrated in the name of fertility. However, March is still the month that has the highest birth rate.
Benjamin, do you celebrate this day?
As I was reading some more or less hilarious quotes on a webpage earlier today I came across this tribute. I thought it would be appropriate to translate it and post it here on this day.
I live in a country, by some guy called Robin Karlsson Friis.
I live in a country where it's prohibited by law to be Swedish.
I live in a country where illegal downloading of music is regarded as more serious than rape.
I live in a country where we don't punish criminals; we send them to prison instead.
I live in a country where we punish all form of sickness by sending sick people to the hospital.
I live in a country that's passionate about closing down nuclear power plants, but doesn't often make much effort to sort garbage.
I live in a country for whose leaders you may vote for at the age of 18, when you're not allowed to buy strong beer.
I live in a country where we love our characteristic seasons, except when they occur.
I live in a country where we gather once a year to eat rotten fish and jump on the ground in celebration of our precious native land.
I live in a country that thinks it has abolished poor mental health by abolishing treatment for it.
I live in a country that will soon probably try to abolish old age using the same method.
I live in a country where we love to watch people do sports on TV while we hold a bowl of chips.
I live in a country where we happily whine about the USA, but do everything to copy them.
I live in a country where we love to travel across the world only to eat and live like we do at home.
I live in a country called Sweden…
And I'm proud of it!
I think it was kind of funny.
Liz
Oh, yes...it is today! I've forgotten it completely! Thank you for reminding me of it.
The poem is funny, too.
Benjamin [inactive]
Re: Midsommar
Walker wrote:
Benjamin, do you celebrate this day?
I don't personally, no. It's the sought of thing I imagine people living in small rural villages would celebrate.
But actually, where I live, there's a festival every year at the end of June, to celebrate the founding of the place — I essentially live in a 'model village' designed as a kind of Quaker utopia by the late 19th/early 20th century enlightened industrialist George Cadbury, i.e. Cadbury's chocolate. At that festival, it always amuses me to see young children dancing around what actually represents an erect penis.
I like that poem — I think almost all of it would be equally applicable here as well.
Liz
Re: Midsommar
Benjamin wrote:
Walker wrote:
Benjamin, do you celebrate this day?
I don't personally, no. It's the sought of thing I imagine people living in small rural villages would celebrate.
Benjamin...Not to be pernickety, but sought of thing = sort of thing? If so, it's a nice giveaway of your non-rhoticity...
Walker
Re: Midsommar
Benjamin wrote:
Walker wrote:
Benjamin, do you celebrate this day?
I don't personally, no. It's the sought of thing I imagine people living in small rural villages would celebrate.
Right.
Quote:
At that festival, it always amuses me to see young children dancing around what actually represents an erect penis.
Yep, hehe.. I'm glad they don't know that.
Uriel
I didn't even know it was midsummer. Because technically, this is only the beginning of it for me!
