This is the story of Emma and her first Midsummer celebration. Little Emma lived in a small village in Sweden. The seven-year-old girl had already heard quite a bit about Midsummer. Her parents had told her that on this special day, the sun hardly set at all. So she was very excited when, one day in June, she woke her mother up with the words, “Today is Midsummer.” She jumped out of bed happily. She was looking forward to wearing a flower wreath, dancing, and celebrating with everyone else.
Emma walked with her family to a large, green meadow. There were already quite a few people from the village there, and they had all brought flowers. There were dandelions, daisies, and even some wildflowers. Now it was time to weave them into a wreath. Emma’s mother showed her how to do it. It took Emma a little longer than the others, who already had some practice. But finally, it was finished: her first Midsummer flower wreath!
It was time for the highlight of the festival: the Midsummer tree, also known as the Maypole, was erected. It was a large wooden pole decorated with lots of flowers and leaves. The tree stood in the middle, and the children and adults formed a circle around it. They held hands and began to sing and dance together. There was one song Emma especially enjoyed—“Små grodorna.” As they sang it, everyone hopped around like frogs and croaked! She couldn’t stop laughing.
That evening, there was a big picnic. Fresh fish, potatoes, and strawberries with whipped cream were laid out on a long table. Emma loved the red berries and went right back for a second helping. As she did, she heard her mother explaining another Midsummer tradition to her older sister. “When we go home, you’ll pick seven—or maybe even nine—different kinds of flowers,” she said with a smile. “If you put them under your pillow tonight, you’ll dream about your future husband!”
Emma, on the other hand, was looking forward to the upcoming torchlight procession, which would bring the Midsummer Festival to a close. Even though Emma was incredibly tired from all the dancing, she was happy. And she was already looking forward to next year, when she would make another wreath and hop around like a frog. She fell asleep with a contented smile.
Image credit: Vikar_Glitter on Pixabay
Add a Comment