Midsommar in Sweden: dates 2026–2027, traditions and words
| Day | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| MidsommaraftonDay off in practice | Friday, 19 June 2026 | Friday, 25 June 2027 |
| MidsommardagenRed day | Saturday, 20 June 2026 | Saturday, 26 June 2027 |
- The date
- Midsommarafton is the Friday between 19 and 25 June; midsommardagen is the Saturday after it, between 20 and 26 June.
- Day off?
- Midsommardagen is a public holiday by law, but it is always a Saturday. Midsommarafton, the Friday, is the day that matters: it is not a public holiday by law, yet almost every workplace closes.
If you only experience one Swedish tradition, make it midsommar. On the Friday nearest the longest day, cities empty as people head to the countryside, the archipelago and summer cottages. It is a day off for almost everyone, even though the law only makes the Saturday a holiday.
The centre of the day is the midsommarstång, a tall pole dressed in leaves and flowers, raised in the afternoon. Then everyone, adults included, dances around it in rings, hopping like frogs to Små grodorna.
What Swedes do
- Dressing and raising the maypole (klä och resa stången), then ring dances around it, led by a fiddler or an accordion.
- Flower crowns (blomsterkransar), especially for children.
- A long lunch or dinner outside with family and friends, often with songs between the dishes, ideally in the sun and often under a gazebo in the rain.
- Folklore: pick seven kinds of wild flowers in silence on midsummer night and put them under your pillow, and you will dream of the person you will marry.
- Busy roads on the Thursday and Friday, and closed shops and offices. Midsommardagen is quiet.
Food and drink
| Swedish | English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| sill | pickled herring | Several kinds: onion, mustard, dill. |
| färskpotatis | new potatoes | Boiled with dill. The first Swedish ones of the year. |
| gräddfil och gräslök | sour cream and chives | On the potatoes and herring. |
| gravad lax | cured salmon | Or grilled salmon. |
| västerbottensostpaj | Västerbotten cheese pie | A savoury tart with a strong hard cheese. |
| jordgubbar | strawberries | With cream or ice cream, or in a strawberry cake (jordgubbstårta). |
| knäckebröd | crispbread | With butter and cheese, on the side. |
Words for Midsommar
Nouns are given with en or ett where you would use them that way. Words in our dictionary are linked, with their forms and pronunciation.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| midsommar | Midsummer |
| midsommarafton | Midsummer Eve |
| midsommardagen | Midsummer Day |
| en midsommarstång | a maypole |
| en majstång | a maypole (other name) |
| klä stången | to dress the maypole |
| resa stången | to raise the maypole |
| en blomsterkrans | a flower crown |
| en ringdans | a ring dance |
| dansa kring stången | to dance around the pole |
| en groda | a frog |
| sju sorters blommor | seven kinds of flowers |
| färskpotatis | new potatoes |
| dill | dill |
| gräddfil | sour cream |
| gräslök | chives |
| jordgubbar | strawberries |
| en spelman | a folk musician, fiddler |
| en sommarstuga | a summer cottage |
| på landet | in the countryside |
| skärgården | the archipelago |
| de ljusa nätterna | the light nights |
Phrases you will hear
- Glad midsommar!Happy Midsummer!
- Var firar ni midsommar?Where are you celebrating Midsummer?
- Hoppas att det inte regnar!Let's hope it doesn't rain!
- Kom, vi ska dansa kring stången!Come on, we're going to dance around the pole!
- Ska vi plocka blommor till kransen?Shall we pick flowers for the crown?
Songs
These are the songs you are likely to hear. We list them by title only; any Swedish songbook (sångbok) has the words.
- Små grodorna: Traditional. The frog dance: everyone hops around the maypole with their hands as ears and tails.
- Vi äro musikanter: Traditional. A miming song where everyone pretends to play an instrument.
Learn more Swedish
See every holiday and the full list of red days in the Swedish holiday calendar, and pick up one new word a day with the Swedish word of the day. Dates and weekdays are easier with our guide to days and months in Swedish and the Swedish numbers tool.
Sources
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar, Riksdagen: which days are public holidays.
Dates are calculated from the rules above and were checked against the law and published calendars. Last checked 7 October 2026. Customs vary between regions and families; this page describes the common ones.