Swedish Midsummer Flower Crowns
Midsummer is a magical time of year, especially in Scandinavia where it’s celebrated as a national holiday in Sweden and Finland. Floral crowns and wildflowers are symbols of the occasion, and they’re as beautiful as they are meaningful. Midsummer Day falls on the closest Saturday to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, while the main celebrations are held on Midsummer Eve.
Swedish midsummer is a cherished tradition that involves flowers in your hair, dancing around a Maypole, folk dancing, food, and drinking songs, and enjoying the outdoors.
The traditions of Midsummer harken back to ancient times when people would light bonfires to celebrate the summer solstice.
In Scandinavia, this tradition merged with Christian celebrations of St. John the Baptist to create the Midsummer we know and love today. Additionally, the May Pole was adopted from an old German Spring tradition.
Floral wreaths are called “midsommarkransar,” and they’re a beloved part of Midsummer celebrations. They’re hung above table tops, adorn the midsummer pole for dancing, and are worn by children and women alike. Even now, cities clear out as everyone heads to the countryside to gather wildflowers for their wreaths. These flowers are combined with birch branches, which help bind the wreath together, and they’re worn throughout the festivities.
At night, after the Midsummer’s Eve party, young women put seven different wildflowers under their pillow to dream of their future partner. The most typical wild flowers growing in this season in Sweden and therefore used in flower crowns are wild daisies, buttercups, clovers, forget-me-nots, meadowsweet, St. John’s wort, harebells, Queen Anne’s lace, and even birch branches!
Besides looking beautiful, the language of wild flowers is important to know when choosing the intention behind your flower crown.
Buttercup humility and neatness
Clover good luck and prosperity
Forget-me-not true love and remembrance
Hare Bells constancy and everlasting love
St John’s Wort protection and strength
Queen Anne’s Lace sanctuary and protection
Birch renewal and purification
If you don’t have time or access to forage flowers, use this paper wreath to color, cut out, and tape together to make your own traditionally Scandinavian Midsummer crown wherever you are.
Download this paper wreath | HERE
