12/25/2023 0 Comments Summer equinox in copenhagenThe base was secured in a steedlike wood and metal structure. The crowd cheered and applauded until, finally, the pole stood upright, like a spire touching the blue sky. Spectators near the trajectory of the pole were urged to move out of the way. The tip swayed precariously and the men staggered from the heavy burden. The bottom was now leaning on the ground while the tip was lifted, inch by inch. "A(degrees)hej," he shouted, signaling the men to push harder. Meanwhile, he removed the supporting buck at the high end of the pole. A middle-age man, a sort of coach, positioned himself behind the Maypole, ordering the men to hoist their forks upward. A group of young men lined up in pairs, one person on each side of the pole, each holding a tall "fork" made of wooden poles. The task of raising the pole, it turns out, is a show of strength in Dalarna. The Maypole, a long flagpole wrapped in garlands and wreaths, was laid across wooden saw bucks in the center of the field below the red timber houses. The parade was approaching, led by men riding the Nordsvenskar (North Swedish horse breed) and women carrying Swedish flags, a yellow cross over a deep blue field. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the crowd. Each rural parish in Sweden has a unique costume, and the Dalarna designs are among the most elaborate and beautiful. Those who didn't march waited for the parade to arrive at Rattvik's majority of the spectators were in traditional costume, women and girls in colorful striped aprons over long, black or green wool skirts and pointed Rattvik hats, and the men wearing yellow knee pants, wide-brimmed felt hats and long black coats with embroidered shoulders.Īll folk costumes may look the same, but an insider can spot geographic origin by difference in headpiece, colors and variations in embroidered details. So none of the locals seemed surprised at the sight of these rare, beautiful gas-guzzlers. Much like Elvis Presley, old American cars have a big following in Sweden, and there are several summertime conventions and raggare Midsummer parties. This slice of Americana in the Swedish countryside may seem surprising, but vintage car collectors and 1950s nostalgia, in Sweden known as raggare, are a common sight in the summertime. The greased-haired drivers waved at bystanders. The traditional scene met with the age of rock and roll as several American cars from the 1950s cruised down the street, engines purring and rock music blasting from car stereos. Impromptu gatherings of spelman (fiddle players) rehearsed in parks and on street corners. The pastry shop on the main square was filled with people having coffee and strawberry torte-a classic Midsummer pastry. Dalarna citizens in bright-colored summer outfits, and others wearing traditional folk costume, strolled down the streets waiting for the weekend's main event, the Midsummer parade and the raising of the Maypole. Falu rodfarg (Falu red paint), made from copper by-products at the mines of Falun in central Dalarna, remains popular all over Sweden.Īt midday, the lakeside town of Rattvik was a flurry of activity. The "typically" Swedish custom of painting wooden houses red emerged in Dalarna in the 16th Century. Beyond town and the Sommarland amusement park, campsite and cabin rental, we passed a stunningly beautiful scene of red farm houses on green hillsides overlooking the deep blue lake. We drove north through Leksand, a pretty town on a bluff overlooking the southern shore of Lake Siljan. We had chosen this location for its proximity to many attractions, including Rattvik, the site of the most important Midsummer celebration. The next morning, Midsummer Eve, we had breakfast on the lawn at our hostel, a former farmstead outside the town of Leksand. We paused to photograph the four-story-tall sculpture, a Trojan horse compared to the miniature pieces made in Nusnas by Lake Siljan. And as if to top off the zany vacation atmosphere, a giant red horse loomed over the forest next to a roadside gas a little wooden horse made in Dalarna, which is arguably the most popular souvenir from Sweden. At Avesta, the southern gateway to Dalarna about 80 miles northwest of Stockholm, a man dressed as a snow-white bearded Santa Claus (Dalarna's Gesunda claims to be the home of Santa Claus) waved and held up a sign reading "Trevlig Helg" (Happy Holidays).
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