Learn more fun facts on the Midsummer Video Page.
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- Every June 24
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Midsummer arrives every June 24, a day dedicated to appreciating nature’s bounty and the peak of summer. Gather your loved ones for outdoor feasts, floral traditions, and joyful celebrations under the extended daylight. Take part in ancient rituals and create new memories.
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Expected Midsummer Deals
As Midsummer 2027 approaches, expect retailers to lean into outdoor living, seasonal produce, and festive decor. Brands like IKEA often feature collections perfect for garden parties, while grocery stores like Whole Foods highlight fresh, local ingredients for traditional Midsummer feasts. Outdoor gear companies such as REI may offer discounts on camping and picnic essentials. Look for local breweries to release special summer ales, and florists to promote flower crown workshops. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as June 24 approaches.
Platform Guide for Midsummer
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #Midsummer. Share vibrant photos of your flower crowns, outdoor celebrations, and traditional Midsummer feasts.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #Midsummer. Film short videos showcasing your Midsummer traditions, from dancing around the maypole to preparing classic dishes.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #Midsummer. Share event details for local Midsummer festivals or invite friends to a virtual celebration.
Midsummer Hero
Carl Linnaeus
History of Midsummer
Midsummer started as a pagan ritual for fertility and a successful harvest during the Stone Age. The pagans believed that plants had healing properties during the summer solstice and they honored the day showing reverence to nature with rituals. They danced around maypoles, fashioned garnets, and herbs were picked on Midsummer’s Eve and bonfires were used to keep away any evil spirits. It was said that spirits were free to roam the earth when the sun was turning towards the southern hemisphere.
In the fourth century, the holiday was changed to fit into Christian beliefs that honored St. John the Baptist called St. John’s Day. In the Gospel of Luke, Saint John’s birthday is said to be six months before the birth of Jesus, which would put his birthday in June. It was celebrated by bathing in water the night before for purification, a feast, and prayer on the holiday, but despite the name change, some of the customs from Midsummer remained.
In the Middle Ages, Germany had its own Midsummer rituals which would eventually be adopted by Sweden and others. Germanic neopagans called their summer solstice festival Litha. In their rituals, the Maypole was decorated with leaves and raised on May 1, which is where the name comes from. It was hard to find green leaves during that time, and the holiday was moved to Midsummer.
Today, it’s still a celebrated holiday and it’s incredibly popular. In Sweden, it comes only second to Christmas and people travel from all over the world to experience it themselves. During the time of the Summer Solstice, inhabitants of the British Isles and Scandinavia have nearly a full day of sunlight, making it easy for them to imagine how the Pagans once lived and they reenact the traditions of old.
Midsummer timeline
Pagans hold festivities and rituals honoring nature, fertility, and a successful harvest.
Midsummer is co-opted by Christianity and called St. John’s Day.
Germany celebrates with customized rituals like maypoles decorated with leaves.
People celebrate the ancient day by dancing, eating, bonfires, and festivals.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Midsummer
Local businesses can honor Midsummer by creating a festive atmosphere that embraces nature and community. Restaurants might offer special seasonal menus featuring fresh, local ingredients and traditional Nordic dishes, perhaps with outdoor seating. Retailers could curate displays of picnic supplies, floral arrangements, and outdoor games, or host workshops on making flower crowns. Consider partnering with local farms for fresh produce or florists for themed decorations to enhance the celebratory spirit.
Midsummer FAQs
When is Midsummer?
Midsummer 2026 falls on a Wednesday, June 24, inviting a midweek pause to celebrate the summer solstice and the peak of the growing season.
What are common Midsummer traditions?
Midsummer traditions often include dancing around a maypole, wearing flower crowns, enjoying outdoor feasts with seasonal foods like pickled herring and new potatoes, and lighting bonfires. Many also engage in folklore rituals related to love and fertility.
Is Midsummer celebrated globally?
While most strongly associated with Northern European countries like Sweden, Finland, and Norway, Midsummer is celebrated in various forms across the globe. Many cultures have traditions tied to the summer solstice, marking the longest day with festivals and rituals.
What is the significance of the Midsummer pole?
The Midsummer pole, or maypole, is a central symbol in many celebrations, particularly in Sweden. It’s typically decorated with leaves and flowers, and people dance around it, symbolizing fertility and the flourishing life of summer.
Midsummer Activities
Midsommar
Visit Sweden and experience Midsommar where the pagans once did. Travel to the countryside where you can attend festivities, make flower garlands, drink traditional drinks like nubbe, and dance around maypoles. You can also learn ancient history firsthand from Swedes who know what they're talking about.
Eat like the pagans
Celebrate the day by preparing traditional foods. Pagans would eat foods that consisted of fresh garden fruits and vegetables in a variety of dishes in honor of their deities. Use recipes for pickled herring to make sill, potatoes for potatis, cured salmon for gravlax, crispy bread for Knäckebröd, and more. If they’re too complicated, simple salads and vegetables will do just fine.
Nature hike
Experience nature in a new way by going on a hike by yourself or with friends. Midsummer is about connecting with nature, so explore a new trail that you've never taken before and really notice your surroundings. Pay attention to all the different trees and flowers and give appreciation for the wonder that is nature.
Five Facts About Midsummer
Empty cities
During Midsummer, cities are left practically vacant as residents leave for the countryside.
Sweet dreams
There's a tradition where people pick seven different species of flowers and place them under their pillows to dream of their future spouse.
Folklore
Many people wear a traditional folk dress called folkdrekten and make their own flower crowns called krans.
Feel the spirit
People drink a spirit called aquavit that's distilled from potatoes or grains and flavored with either caraway or dill seed.
Hopping mad
There are songs sung about frogs and people hop around the maypole like they're frogs themselves.
Why We Love Midsummer
Respecting tradition
It’s impressive that the spirit of Midsummer is still celebrated today when it could have easily been forgotten. The passage of time and the attempts to change the holiday weren’t enough to get rid of it, and its perseverance deserves respect simply for withstanding the obstacles in its way. Its longevity and the love that people have for it is proof enough that the holiday is here to stay.
Loving nature
Midsummer reminds us that we should be appreciative of nature. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to survive. There’s a direct correlation between people and plants with every breath we take. Stopping to smell the flowers and being one with nature is something that we should all do more often.
Thinking of others
It helps us think of our fellow humans. It's always good to be kind to our family and friends, but we should extend ourselves to everyone. Midsummer is about being appreciative of the day itself and offering selfless gifts with the hopes of bettering others. There can never be too many reminders to be charitable.
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