06/03/11

Inspired by our time in Sweden and Denmark last summer, this semi-dry, bottle conditioned, sparkling cider marks the 2011 Midsommar celebration.  At the Midsommr, night is scarcely dark at all, and the sun only reluctantly sets.  People celebrate this amazing time with their friends and family, often with cider, a favorite drink in Scandinavia. 

Midsommar in Sweden is like Thanksgiving, Christmas and the 4th of July here, all rolled together.  In the mornings, there are public celebrations, in town squares or parks, folk dancing, military bands, etc.  Then people retire to their homes around noon, with family and friends.  Everything, and I mean everything, shuts down.  The people who ran the hotel we were staying in gave us the keys to the hotel and told us that there would be no other guests and no staff. 

Robert, Hugh and I went for a walk around midnight, it was still light out, and people were still celebrating in their backyards.  I think because the summer is so short, Scandinavians enjoy it as much as possible. 

Here's a link for more information about Midsommar http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Traditions/Celebrating-the-Swedish-way/Midsummer/