It's Midsummer, Summer Solstice, the Longest Day, St John’s Day, St. Hans Day, Fors Fortuna, Litha, Alban Hefin, Enyovden, Ukon juhla - whatever you call it, it's a milestone!
In the UK, of course, all the pseudo-Druids, Neo-Pagans, hippies and other assorted weirdos head for Stonehenge to celebrate. We'll stay at home, and will probably clink a glass in the garden or something.
Meanwhile, in Sweden...
From the Bilingual by Music website:
Midsummer's Day is one of the most important holidays of the year in Sweden, and probably the most uniquely Swedish in the way it is celebrated.Raising and dancing around a midsommarstång pole is an activity that attracts families and many others. Before the maypole is raised, greens and flowers are collected and used to cover the entire pole. People dancing around the pole listen to traditional music and sing songs associated with the holiday. Some wear traditional folk costumes or crowns made of wild springs and wildflowers on their heads.
Music plays a big part at the Midsummer celebrations. The most famous song sung when dancing around the maypole is Små grodorna [which in English is “Little frogs”]:
The melody originates from a military march from the French revolution La Chanson de l’Oignon (“The onion song”), with the chorus “Au pas, camarade, au pas camarade / au pas, au pas, au pas!” (“In step, comrade”). The enemies of the French at the time, the British, changed the text with condescending irony to “Au pas, grenouilles!” (“In step, little frogs”).Små grodorna in Swedish:
Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se.
Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se.
Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de.
Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de.
Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
English version (direct translation):
The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.
The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.
No ears, no ears, no tails do they possess.
No ears, no ears, no tails do they possess.
Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
How bizarre.
We have a far better way to mark the occasion (and the ongoing heatwave!) - with Bananarama!
However one chooses to celebrate, it is worth doing - for after today, the nights start drawing in once more..!
Make the most of it, dear reader.
[Footnote: If some of this seems familiar - yes, I did post about this over at the Dolores Delargo Museum of Camp in 2021]
